Yorkville asks county’s help to relocate power lines downtown
By Steve Lord slord@stmedianetwork.com September 10, 2012 5:46PM
Updated: September 11, 2012 5:58PM
YORKVILLE — Aesthetics and some electricity troubles have prompted a loan request from the city of Yorkville to Kendall County.
Yorkville has asked the county for a loan from its economic development revolving loan fund to relocate utility lines behind businesses on the west side of Route 47 downtown.
The loan would be $250,000 at a 3.1 percent interest rate, for eight years. The city would pay back the loan with tax increment finance district money from the downtown TIF.
Yorkville is looking at the utility relocation at the request of Imperial Investments, which currently is renovating several businesses along Route 47 between Hydraulic Avenue and Van Emmon Street.
As part of the renovation, the new businesses will have their main entrances at the back of the buildings, rather than facing Route 47 — in part because the widened Route 47 will leave no parking along the roadway.
Imperial will provide more parking in what currently is the back of the buildings, and so will have more people entering the two new restaurants and the expanded current restaurant from the rear.
The utility lines and electric equipment in the back of the buildings will not fit with the remodeling, City Administrator Bart Olson said in a memo to aldermen. Imperial requested that the city have the utilities relocated underground.
The city and county economic development officials will discuss the loan later this month.
In addition to the aesthetics, at least one of the businesses on that stretch of Route 47 downtown has been having real electric issues. Cobblestone Bakery and Bistro has experienced power outages, several on busy Saturday nights which forced the restaurant to close and not honor reservations.
Although there is no official word on it, it appears the problems are caused by Cobblestone being on a residential grid in the area, rather than a business one. ComEd is looking at the problem as well.
Officials said the problem possibly could be solved as part of the relocation project.
