Aurora City Council approves plan for hotel near Hollywood Casino site
Summary
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved the development of a four-story, 124-room extended-stay ECHO Suites hotel by Wyndham at 1300 and 1350 Corporate Blvd., near North Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora. The project, developed by Holladay Properties, is located near the new Aurora Hollywood Casino resort that opened in late June. Initial approval was delayed after council members expressed concerns about whether an extended-stay hotel aligns with the city's vision for the area; Ald. Edward Bugg cited a history of noise, safety, and disturbance issues with extended-stay hotels and noted the city spent around $7 million to demolish two problematic extended-stay hotels on the casino site. In response, the developer agreed to three conditions: prohibiting overnight semi-truck or trailer parking, meeting with the Aurora Police Department twice a year to discuss security measures, and adding a meeting space to comply with zoning ordinances. A fourth proposed condition by Ald. Daniel Barreiro—limiting conditional use to the current developer to prevent the property from being repurposed—was withdrawn after pushback from other aldermen and a developer representative who warned it would harm the property's sale potential. The hotel is expected to open between January and June 2028 and is projected to generate approximately $3.4 million in annual revenue for the company and over $300,000 in combined tax revenues for the city. The project is among the first developments to take advantage of the location near the Hollywood Casino resort.
(Source:Chicago Tribune)