The renovation of RiverEdge Park in Aurora is nearing its completion as the final major purchase for the project makes its way through the city’s approval process.
The ongoing work is expected to increase the capacity of the city-owned park by about 2,500 people, with current capacity at about 7,300 for events and 6,500 for concerts, officials have said. A new backstage building, a new beverage pavilion, a new restroom building and a new south gate entry are also being added to the park.
Construction at the park is expected to be completed by the end of May, barring any unforeseen delays, a city spokesperson told The Beacon-News. RiverEdge was closed during the 2025 summer concert season because of the renovation work but is set to again hosts concerns this summer.
A contract to upgrade the park’s sound systems at a cost of nearly $320,000 was unanimously approved by a committee of the Aurora City Council last week. At that meeting, Kurt Muth of the city’s Public Works department said the proposed contract is the last significant thing needed for the park’s renovation.
Muth was “pretty happy” with Ayre Productions’s bid of $318,978, he said, as it was lower than what he projected.
The proposal is now set to be considered by the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday before it heads to the Aurora City Council for final approval next week.
The contract with Ayre Productions includes both the purchase of the sound equipment and its installation, according to Muth. He said the equipment is needed to use the back area of the park, where the renovation is expanding towards, since it is further away from the park’s stage.
In October, the Aurora City Council approved the purchase of two new jumbotrons at a cost of just over $534,000, which was also to improve the back area of the park. The screens were planned to be installed in the grassy area beyond the beverage pavilion so there would be more places for people to sit during concerts.
Like all the renovations taking place at RiverEdge Park, the new jumbotrons were supposed to help make the park more profitable and help it attract bigger acts by increasing potential attendance, officials said at the time. But the purchase saw some pushback as the city faced financial troubles and staffing cuts.
Last month, the City Council unanimously approved a $307,000 contract to buy furniture for the park, which received none of the public pushback the jumbotron purchase saw.
RiverEdge Park is owned by the city of Aurora but managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority. That organization also manages the city-owned Stolp Island Theatre, and it owns the Paramount Theatre, the Copley Theatre, Paramount School of the Arts and North Island Center.
Tickets are currently on sale for The Australian Pink Floyd Show, coming to RiverEdge Park on Aug. 21. For more information or to buy tickets, go to: paramountaurora.com/events/the-australian-pink-floyd-show/
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
