Economic Development
Mission Statement
To promote, attract, and retain commercial and industrial development in the City of Aurora. In doing so, serve to enhance the quality of life for Aurora citizens by creating jobs, increasing assessed valuation, and attracting property tax, sales tax, and other revenue generators to the community.
A Message from Executive Director Sherman Jenkins
Welcome to the Aurora Economic Development Commission Web site. Any time you see a new or expanding commercial or industrial business in Aurora, the chances are good that the Aurora Economic Development Commission (AEDC) helped make it happen. This agency, formed in 1981 by the City of Aurora and Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, has worked to attract scores of new businesses to the Community, increasing the tax base and multiplying the numbers of jobs available to residents of Aurora and communities for miles around.
Newspapers, business publications and other media are constantly spreading word of the growth. But, it is so rapid that the stories are outdated before the ink on the pages has dried.
Businesses in the city are diversified, thanks to the AEDC's efforts to look for variety. This affords companies an ample supply of goods and services and assures professionals, trades workers and laborers of finding jobs with large and small, privately owned and public Fortune 500 companies.
This diversity also provides a stable economic climate in Aurora and surrounding communities throughout the Fox Valley area.
The AEDC does not concentrate soley on new development. It also is concerned about the Central City which, like those in larger communities, has gone through tremendous changes during the past few decades.
But, unlike many communities, Aurora is seeing a turn-around in the Central City thanks in part to efforts of the AEDC to attract new service-type businesses and investment to development opportunities in Central City and neighborhood business districts.
There also is a resurgence of residential development downtown, assuring Central City businesses of a captive customer base.
This area-wide economic growth has resulted in a record number of new housing starts throughout the city, making Aurora one of the Midwest's fastest growing communities. New housing starts mean more available housing for homebuyers in price ranges from moderate to one million dollars and higher.
The growing population assures employers they can find the workforce they need and gives businesses a large customer base.
None of these elements can do the job by themselves. They all work as a team-the AEDC, Chamber of Commerce, City of Aurora , financial institutions, commercial, industrial and residential developers, realtors, educational institutions, employers, employees and residents.
Thank you for stopping by and visiting the City of Aurora web-site. If there is any way that the AEDC can be of service to you, please feel free contact us at the number listed above.
Sherman Jenkins, Director