Urban Design | Aurora, IL

Downtown Aurora is experiencing tremendous infill development, and more people are living, working, playing, and dining in the downtown. City leaders and community stakeholders decided now is the time to reimagine what Millennium Plaza could become. The city engaged Hitchcock Design Group to help develop a vision for the future of this amazing public open space. The new Millennium Plaza is designed as a contemporary urban space that provides open access and views to the Fox River, featuring a cantilevered boardwalk viewing platform. A performance pavilion and event lawn with terraced seating provides an inviting space to support small gatherings, while also serving everyday passive use. The new plaza expands the streetscape interface to provide additional space for street side tables and chairs and is designed with the ability to close Stolp Avenue to accommodate larger scale programmed events. Quality materials, generous landscaping, and dramatic lighting will ensure that Millennium Plaza becomes a premier community focal point representing the future of downtown Aurora.