At 105 pages, the draft of Batavia’s Downtown Plan is comprehensive, ambitious and forward-looking. Covering everything from the thorough planning process to strategic vision/goals, land use development, private investments and accessibility, there’s too much to adequately summarize in this little newsletter.

Which is fine, because the City of Batavia is hosting a Community Open House on Thursday evening to give residents a chance to review and discuss the plan in detail.

Whether you can make it to the Open House or not, here are some notes and resources to help you get up to speed:

We’re looking forward to seeing how this progresses and will share updates as we learn more.

The 🔒 icon indicates a potential paywall. The *️⃣ icon indicates that an account/login is needed.

🔒 A balancing act: Despite indications that Kane County was planning to increase property taxes, the now-approved 2024 budget includes no such hikes.

☑️ New BPD building: Batavia’s proposed 2024 budget plan includes a request for a new $24M police station that would theoretically be completed by the end of 2028.

🔒 Road safety: Starting soon, you could face a much heftier fine for distracted driving in Elburn. Let’s all just agree to put our phones away wherever we happen to be driving, shall we?

☑️ Bad melons: As a salmonella outbreak continued spreading over the weekend, a cantaloupe/melon recall has expanded to 32 states, including Illinois.

🔒 Advanced aircraft: Geneva City Council approved the purchase of two specialized drones for the police and public works departments to use in unique circumstances.

🔒 Illinois roadways: With 50 suburban townships responsible for maintaining nearly 1,800 miles of roads, the costs to taxpayers add up. You may be surprised by the bill some cities are shouldering.

☑️ Find your fir: If you’re one of the 23% of Americans who prefer a live Christmas tree in your living room, here are some places near the Tri-Cities where you can snag one.

🔒 Much-needed support: Some local guys affected by cancer have been surprised by how much a Men's Networking Group has helped them talk things out and get a positive mental boost.

🔒 Hungry neighbors: The Northern Illinois Food Bank — which has a location in Geneva — is busier than ever and offers a great opportunity to help food-insecure folks in your community.

☑️ Champion educator: Former Batavia Board of Education member Chris Lowe won the prestigious Thomas Lay Burroughs Award for his extraordinary community leadership.

☑️ Employer accolades: Congrats are in order for the Batavia Park District, which was recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace for 2023 — #97 overall in the small business category.

☑️ Anticipation builds: The Mandrake Geneva will be opening up for reservations any day now. According to their website, it’ll be “unlike anything else in the western suburbs.”

☑️ Spirited tradition: Geneva’s annual Christmas Walk and Holiday House Tour will keep the holiday vibes front and center for local families on Friday and Saturday.

☑️ New tradition: Batavia’s second annual Holiday Home Tours and Buffet on Saturday will help raise funds for the community’s annual 4th of July Sky Concert.

Same as last week, we’re featuring the live music schedule on a separate, dedicated page. Since it’s unusual for a Monday, I do want to highlight that there are two performances this evening:

✔️ Bobby K: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 4-7PM | Musician info

🎟️ Allman Betts Family Revival: Arcada Theater | St. Charles | 7:30PM | Event info

Make sure to check out the 11 other shows happening Tuesday through Thursday.

🌤️ Today: High 26F | Low 12F | FREEZING

🌤️ Tuesday: High 24F | Low 19F | Cold front continues

🌤️ Wednesday: High 40F | Low 24F | 40 is the new 60

⛅ Thursday: High 46F | Low 29F | Mild day to close November

We’re also on Facebook and Instagram. Follow us for updates about what’s happening in the area throughout the week.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with:

P.S. If you enjoy Tri-Cities Central, please refer others and/or leave a review! We grow primarily through word of mouth.