What Aurora development should you watch before you move?
Aurora development in 2026 is concentrated in a few places: the I-88 and Farnsworth Avenue corridor where the new Hollywood Casino opened, a downtown riverfront preparing for street and site changes, new data center rules, and new townhome approvals on the far east side. Before you choose an address, check which of these projects sits near it, what stage it is in, and when construction is expected. The city posts most of this publicly, so a short search can save you a surprise after closing.
By Kealan O’Neil, Designated Managing Broker, O’Neil Property Group
If you are just starting to look in Aurora, Illinois, the city can feel like several markets stitched together. It stretches across four counties, and our Aurora vs Naperville cost comparison already walks through the tax calendars and utilities that change with the county line. This guide is about the other thing that changes block by block: what is being built, widened, torn down, or regulated nearby.
None of these projects make a house a good or bad buy on their own. They change traffic patterns, construction noise, views, and timing, and those are easier to plan around when you know about them before you write an offer. Here are seven Aurora development items worth tracking, with published dates.
Aurora development near I-88 and Farnsworth Avenue
1. The casino moved off the river
The riverboat casino downtown closed in June 2026, and the new land-based Hollywood Casino Aurora opened on June 24, 2026, at 2500 N. Farnsworth Avenue, next to Chicago Premium Outlets. PENN Entertainment describes it as a $360 million project with a 226-room hotel, more than 1,200 gaming positions, an event center, and about 1,700 parking spaces.
This Aurora development came with new roads. Its Farnsworth, Bilter, and Church Road project page covers about 1.73 miles: Farnsworth widening from four lanes to six, Bilter Road from two lanes to four, and Church Road from two to three, plus new signals, sidewalks, and a multi-use path. The same page notes the city owns land to the east on Bilter Road that will eventually be developed with mixed uses or housing.
If you are looking at homes along this corridor, drive it on a Friday evening and a Saturday afternoon, not just a weekday morning. Event nights and outlet traffic are part of the picture now.
2. Data center rules changed in March 2026
Aurora paused new data center and warehouse projects with a 180-day moratorium on September 25, 2025. On March 24, 2026, the City Council adopted new rules, effective at 12:00 a.m. on March 25, 2026, that replaced the moratorium. In its announcement, the city counted five data centers within city limits and five more in development.
Under the city’s new data center regulations, every new data center is a conditional use that needs a public hearing, City Council approval, and public notice online, in newspapers, and by mail. Developers must file water, energy, and sound studies. New facilities face noise, vibration, energy, and water limits, evaporative cooling is prohibited, and each must provide on-site renewable power covering 25% of peak load or battery storage covering 50% of peak load for 15 minutes, with alternative compliance available.
Existing data centers are covered too, in a narrower way. Both new and existing facilities must report annual energy use, water use, and noise testing. The city has also published updates on noise complaints near the CyrusOne campus, including an April 23, 2026 notice about daytime generator runs during ComEd work. If a home you like sits near an industrial area, look up the nearest parcels and listen at the lot line at night.
Downtown Aurora development on the Fox River
3. The old casino site is set to be cleared
The 2022 redevelopment agreement between the city and PENN requires the company, at its own cost, to remove the structures on the downtown casino property, including the barge, and restore the site to a “pad ready” condition before conveying it to the city. The agreement calls for commercially reasonable efforts to start that work within two months of the new casino’s opening date and finish within twelve months, subject to weather, contractor scheduling, and permits.
With a June 24, 2026 opening, that timeline points to the middle of 2027. What gets built on the land afterward will go through the city’s public review process, so watch Planning and Zoning Commission agendas if you are shopping for a downtown condo or a home near the river.
4. Downtown streets, the bridge, and RiverEdge Park
Several downtown Aurora development projects overlap. The city’s proposed 2027 budget schedules a two-way conversion of Galena Boulevard and New York Street in 2027, plus a Broadway Streetscape project with wider sidewalks and funding to improve parking access.
RiverEdge Park reopened in June 2026 after nearly $16 million in renovations and expansion, which added capacity for 1,500 more people, a larger backstage, and new gates and restrooms. Concert nights bring crowds and sound to the blocks around it, which some buyers want and others do not.
Two longer Aurora development timelines matter too. The New York Street bridge over the Fox River, opened in 1931, is slated for a full deck replacement and arch repairs, with construction now listed for roughly 2029, subject to IDOT approvals and funding. West of downtown, the Galena Boulevard signal project covers 12 intersections between Constitution Drive and Locust Street; the city’s project page anticipated the western stage starting in 2026 and the eastern stage in 2028 to 2029, with every date subject to funding and right-of-way.
New homes and neighborhood projects across the city
5. Kingsley Row townhomes at Ogden Avenue and 75th Street
On August 25, 2026, the City Council approved a development agreement with M/I Homes of Chicago for Kingsley Row, 185 single-family attached homes on vacant land at the southeast corner of Ogden Avenue and 75th Street, in the DuPage County part of the city. The land is being rezoned to R-4A(C) and OS-1(C) with a planned development.
The agreement commits the builder to an Energy Rating Index target: a projected score of no more than 40 before construction and a verified score of no more than 43 after, under the 2024 IECC R406 method. It also includes a 12-inch watermain extension across 75th Street at Commons Drive, work at the 75th Street and Commons Drive intersection, and an eastbound-to-southbound right-turn lane on 75th Street at Route 59. Public improvements must be finished within five years of final plat approval.
If you are comparing this Aurora development with resale nearby, ask the builder which phase a lot falls in and when nearby road work is scheduled.
6. The Orchard Road sound wall
On the west side, the city plans to replace about 63,300 square feet of wooden noise fence that went up along Orchard Road in 2004. The project is budgeted at $6,000,000 from Kane County, State of Illinois, and city funds. The city’s November 2026 update says bidding starts in November 2026, bids open by the end of January 2027, construction starts in spring 2027, and completion is expected by fall 2027, pending ComEd utility relocation.
For homes backing up to Orchard Road, this Aurora development means a year of construction, then a new barrier. Ask the seller whether they have received notices about the work.
7. What the 2027 budget means for your tax bill
The proposed 2027 city budget is $603,696,865, down $84,736,709 from 2026. The city says the general tax levy would stay flat, while property taxes tied to bond repayment and police and fire pensions are expected to rise. It also sets aside $9.8 million for lead service line replacement; our guide to lead service lines in Aurora shows how to check a specific address.
The budget is set for approval at the December 8, 2026 City Council meeting. The city levy is only one line on your bill, so pull the actual tax bill for any home you consider, not an estimate.
How to check Aurora development near a specific address
You do not need to attend every meeting. A few habits cover most of it.
- Search the address or nearby street names in the city’s Legistar meeting records to find zoning requests, plats, and development agreements.
- Check the Your Voice Aurora project pages for road, bridge, and park work with schedules.
- Look up the parcel in the city’s MyPlace app for zoning, then look at what the surrounding parcels are zoned for.
- Call 311 or 630-256-4636 and ask whether any applications are pending near the address.
- Ask the seller, in writing, about any notices they have received for hearings, special assessments, or construction.
If you are also weighing nearby towns, our North Aurora development watch list covers the projects just to the north.
Aurora development questions people ask when they start looking
Where did the Hollywood Casino in Aurora move?
What happens to the old downtown casino site?
Can a new data center be approved near my Aurora home without a hearing?
When will Galena Boulevard and New York Street become two-way downtown?
How do I choose a real estate agent in Aurora, IL who tracks local development?
Aurora development will keep moving after you buy, and that is normal for a city this size. The goal is to know what is planned near your address before you commit, so the next construction sign is something you expected. If you want a no-pressure conversation about a specific Aurora street, or help reading what the city has posted about it, I am glad to walk through it with you. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
About Kealan O’Neil
Kealan O’Neil is the Designated Managing Broker and founder of O’Neil Property Group, an independent real estate brokerage based in Yorkville, Illinois. He and his team help buyers and sellers in Yorkville, Oswego, Montgomery, and the surrounding Kendall and Kane County communities, and he owns and manages a local rental portfolio, so he approaches every decision as both a broker and an investor. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
This post is general information about real estate in the Fox Valley, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Real estate laws, tax rules, and municipal ordinances change, and how they apply depends on your specific situation. Talk with a licensed attorney, CPA, or lender before making decisions about a purchase, sale, or tax matter. O’Neil Property Group is a licensed Illinois real estate brokerage.