A running start

Building permit totals in Aurora tell an interesting tale for our community, with some exciting news reflected in the final 2023 numbers.
As reported in a front page story this week, building permits issued at City Hall added up to $26.7 million last year, more than 2-1/2 times the largest sum over the past decade. That’s an impressive tally, but what is even more exciting is the momentum gained which community and business leaders believe could carry into 2024 and beyond.
The most impressive permit in this year’s report is the $12 million structure now becoming visible on the Mission Critical site south of town. That will be home base to a $20 million development announced in August which is being touted as an anchor tenant on the Aurora Development Corporation’s Highway 14 site. That 151-acre site was purchased more than a decade ago with a long-term vision for creating jobs and opportunity. It’s taken a while for that vision to come into focus, but as Gov. Jim Pillen said at a groundbreaking ceremony in August there is tremendous potential now in ag-based economic development and Aurora stands poised to make the most of that opportunity. 
This is, in no uncertain terms, a VERY, BIG, DEAL!
As exciting as it is to welcome a new company making a $20 million investment in Aurora, which is expected to create 15 jobs initially and eventually up to 30 or more, the bigger story about Mission Critical is yet to be written. Another new business involving a data center announced plans late in the year to plant a flag on that site in 2024 and it’s a safe bet that we’ll look back in 10 or 20 years and pinpoint this particular development as the key that opened the door to a whole new era of growth for Aurora and Hamilton County.
This year’s numbers are a bit misleading on the housing front. While there were only four permits for new single-family dwellings issued in 2023, the reality is that Aurora stands poised and ready to fill a growing need for new housing with a little help from the Federal Reserve. Two separate million-dollar Rural Workforce Housing Development grants and a growing network of local partnerships have primed the pump with housing subdivisions and necessary infrastructure. If the Feds lower interest rates this year as many are predicting, we could see new houses going up in a hurry.
There is indeed a sense of economic optimism as the new year begins, fortunately, with plans for several new developments promising to keep the hammers pounding in 2024. Those projects could very well spark additional interest from companies looking to expand and potential residents looking for a progressive place to call home.
Kurt Johnson