Where to begin when describing the improvements to RiverEdge Park in Aurora after a $16 million renovation and expansion?
For all the attention we could pay (and shortly I will) to the park’s new beverage pavilion and sky-deck, or the new artists “backstage” building, or the expanded south entrance, the biggest crowd pleasers might just be behind the restroom doors.
Yes, we’re talking toilets. Twenty-four brand new women’s stalls will go a long way in alleviating the long lines ladies have had to endure. And over on the men’s side: 18 stalls, with nice wide shelves above the urinals to hold those valuable drinks.
The restrooms all feature hand-washing stations that allow visitors to soap up, wash up and dry off from a state-of-the-art touchless sink.
The public is invited to check out all the above at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday at the south end’s newly-renovated Entrance 4 near the Pedestrian Bridge over the Fox River. And it will officially open on Saturday for the Blues on the Fox festival.
What you’ve read does not do justice to what you will see.
When I got a tour of the park a couple days ago, I must have uttered “wow” a couple dozen times, starting with a tour of the 10,000-square-foot artists building that has taken the place of the cramped backstage area.
At first glance, this brand new facility might look like RiverEdge is rolling out the red carpet for the rock stars and other performers who come to Aurora. This building, with its ocean blue walls and large widows that open to the outdoors, provides plenty of space for artists, their bands, crew and families to spread out: That includes a spacious eating area with appliances and thermal countertops, a 1,500-square-foot green room with balcony patio, and five large dressing rooms, with private showers, totaling another 1,100 square feet.
Call it pampering the stars if you like, but RiverEdge officials call it staying in the game.
The former backstage area, for example, was so tight that when KISS performed here in 2017, there wasn’t enough room to house the band’s costumes. And meals for the artists that came through – breakfast, lunch, pre- and post-show dinners – had to be served from an old construction trailer that could accommodate only a handful of people at a time.
Also, the old dressing room was more like a walk-in closet, with the green room not much larger. And crew members, after tearing down a show, had to shower at a nearby hotel before climbing aboard the tour bus and heading to the next city.
These limitations didn’t go unnoticed.
“So many bands were turning us down” because RiverEdge, which is “in the most competitive summer concert market in the country,” lacked the nicer amenities, said RiverEdge Park General Manager Jim Jarvis. But this new facility changes that equation, he added, giving performers and crews the kind of accommodations that make Aurora a more attractive stop on the tour circuit.
The higher profile acts will, of course, please more fans as well. But there are other improvements that are guaranteed to give visitors a better experience at this venue, and we’re not just talking about shorter bathroom lines.
I also got to check out the new nearly 5,000-square-foot beverage pavilion and sky-deck, which is perched atop the grassy hill overlooking the stage and the Fox River. It features a full service bar and catering prep area, and a 5,500-square-foot concrete gathering area that includes a series of stepped terraces for bag chair seating.
While the north side of this building seems to serve as the park’s new overlook, the flip side could be viewed as its front porch. There, a plaza featuring 16 beverage stations serves as a central hub, where visitors can take advantage of a trio of Jumbotrons, a grassy viewing area and those new restrooms with their fancy hand-washing sinks.
Paver bricks funnel visitors to and from Entrance 4, the park’s redesigned southern gateway that has a new will call facility and a 6,900-square-foot plaza. Because it connects to the Pedestrian Bridge crossing the river and giving guests access to free parking, Jarvis predicts it will likely become the park’s main entrance.
He also wanted to note that the venue’s new food provider, Strawberries BBQ, has new kitchen equipment that allows it to expand its menu to also include fan favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage and loaded nachos. And he showed off the massive storage areas in the new buildings that can hold everything from forklifts to ADA platforms to food, beverage and paper supplies, which streamlines operations, cuts costs and eliminates the need to shuttle equipment across the park or scramble off-site for basic provisions.
All these improvements, Jarvis insisted, are putting RiverEdge on the map.
When the park opened its doors in 2013, there was “no long range plan” to ensure the venue remained competitive in an increasingly crowded entertainment market, Jarvis told me. Those first renovation conversations began with the late Mayor Tom Weisner, and continued when the late Ald. Bob O’Connor was acting as interim mayor. And of course they kicked into high gear under former Mayor Richard Irvin, and have come to this ribbon-cutting completion with current Mayor John Laesch’s administration.
“Everyone had input in their areas of expertise,” from park and city officials to the pros with Ratio Architects to those tending bar, he said.
That’s why Jarvis is guaranteeing longtime fans will be “blown away” by RiverEdge’s new look. And he’s also betting newcomers will “keep coming back again and again.”
“I would,” he added, “put it up against any other venue in the state.”
To which I can only add, “wow.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
