An illustration of the proposed City of Lights Centre in downtown Aurora (Holabird & Root image via city of Aurora). 

When Hollywood Casino vacates its longtime downtown home sometime in 2026, the city of Aurora has a big idea what might come next. 

Under consideration is a 4,000-seat indoor performance venue that would be among the largest of the Chicago region’s non-sports facilities. 

Aurora officials held the first in a series of introductory public meetings Sept. 5 at North Island Center to outline the concept and impact as part of an ambitious, but tentative development plan along the Fox River. 

Compared to Aurora’s Paramount Theater and its 1,800-seat capacity, the proposed City of Lights Centre is seen as a revenue generator that could largely pay for itself by drawing bigger acts and increased interest, visitors and spending to Aurora. 

“There’s nothing like it out here in the western suburbs,” Alex Alexandrou, Aurora’s chief management officer, told the Aurora City Council’s Finance Committee on Aug. 29. “We would be competitive now with the Chicago Theater, with the Rosemont Theater (and other venues).  

“(But) we’re at a crossroads here. We’re facing a very simple choice when you break it down. Where does this community value the arts, culture and entertainment going forward.”  

Development would be overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority, which also manages the Paramount Theatre, RiverEdge Park, the Copley Theatre, Stolp Island Theatre and the School of the Arts Center.  

“ACCA is one of Aurora’s revenue pillars,” the city said in a statement. “(It) has been the single driving factor behind the redevelopment of our downtown, attracts thousands of visitors annually and is now the foundation to sustain our existing and incoming bars, restaurants and attractions.” 

Hollywood Casino is leaving downtown for a new complex now under construction on Farnsworth Road adjacent to the Chicago Premium Outlets shopping center and Interstate 88. It is projected to be completed sometime in 2026. 

The City of Lights Centre, which could open sometime in 2027, would be located near the northeast corner of New York and River streets on what’s now a parking lot (and once was home to a YWCA) as well as an adjacent former West Suburban Bank property now owned by the city. 

It is part of a broader concept to replace the Hollywood Casino building with a possible high-rise building and support construction of three other mixed-use buildings on the west bank of the Fox River plus a luxury apartment complex now underway on the east bank. 

City of Lights Centre illustrations developed by the Chicago-based design firm of Holabird & Root shows a multilevel, triangular-shaped venue with a rounded exterior, top-to-bottom glass windows and a curtain of white lights running vertically on the front.  

Inside views include a spacious foyer leading to a performance space with large stage and two levels of seating. The top of the building offers areas for gatherings featuring floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides with options for both interior and exterior uses. 

Venue planning had been underway for at least a year before it was unveiled at the Aug. 29 City Council Finance Committee meeting. 

The committee backed a first-phase plan to support up to $13.8 million in bonds with funds destined to help stabilize ACCA after budgets went into deficit due to facility closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and a slow recovery in attendance and visitor interest.  

The full City Council is expected to consider the first phase plan later this month. 

Under the plan the city would purchase a valet parking garage from ACCA for $10 million, reimburse the authority for $1.3 million in Stolp Island Theatre construction costs and $2.5 million for Riverwalk Promenade walkway work. 

“What we have here is a way forward where we will not — in perpetuity — need to rely on the city for financial assistance,” Tim Rater, ACCA’s president and CEO, told the finance committee. “With sales tax revenue, with parking revenue it should mostly pay for itself when it’s done. It will certainly pay for itself in the pride that it brings to this community and the ancillary revenues that come from people coming downtown.” 

The next phase, projected for 2025, would help cover an anticipated ACCA deficit as well as City of Lights Centre construction bonds.  

The proposal drew fire from John Laesch, an at-large Aurora alderman who announced he’ll challenge incumbent Mayor Richard C. Irvin in next year’s municipal elections.  

“The city has recently provided $11.5 million in subsidies to ACCA over the past three years to fill a nearly $6 million annual shortfall in the operating budget,” Laesch wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “In short, our entertainment venues don’t make enough money to cover their costs … (and) the only way to ‘close the gap’ is to build yet another, much larger, 4,000-person entertainment venue to attract larger acts. The process has been very rushed.”  

Laesch also ran for mayor 2021, but lost to Irvin in a three-way race. Irvin, a two-term mayor who was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in 2022, recently announced plans to run for reelection and would face Laesch and at least two other opponents. 

The city insists that City of Lights Centre and ACCA funding plans are not being rushed. 

“The plan has been in development since 2023 and its development has been mentioned at various public meetings,” the city stated in a fact sheet distributed at the open house. 

Further, the city pledged “numerous opportunities” for comment at public meetings and Open Houses as the phases advance. 

Several indoor Chicago area venues are considerably larger and mostly used for professional and college sports, including the United Center (21,000-plus), Allstate Arena in Rosemont (18,500), Wintrust Arena (10,000) and Credit Union Arena, the former UIC Pavilion (9,500).  

The proposed City of Lights project would compare favorably to medium-sized indoor performance sites that draw top performers like Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom (4,500), Rosemont Theater (4,500), Arie Crown Theater (4,188), Auditorium Theater (3,900), Salt Shed (3,600), Chicago Theater (3,600) and the Riviera Theater (2,500).