Town receives $1.3M in donations for Aurora Town Square

Yorkregion.com
April 19, 2022

The path to Aurora Town Square is becoming more of a reality after the town received $1.3 million in donations.

Treasure Hill donated $500,000, TACC Developments, Fieldgate Developments and Paradise Developments donated another $500,000 and Addison Hall Business Park donated $300,000.

The first phase of the capital fundraising campaign has a goal to raise $5 million from the community. It will feature corporate and individual naming opportunities and multi-year pledge opportunities.

“I think what it means to the town and to myself is how well received this project has been, and that people are seeing the importance to the town of this project,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas. “When you see people step up and they are willing to give gifts at this size then it makes you feel that this is the right thing to do.”

Aurora Town Square is being constructed at the parking lots and unutilized land between the Aurora Public Library and the Church Street School at Yonge Street, Mosley Street, Church Street and Victoria Street in the downtown.

“The donations allow us to do a number of different things. The donations can either offset capital funding that the municipality has put in to actually build the project,” said Phil Rose, manager of Aurora Town Square.

The funding could also go toward programming and events that are scheduled in the first few years, he added.

“(The donations) really just send the message the business and development community is really interested in this project. They see the value of it for the people that are buying homes here in Aurora,” Rose said. “It shows that it’s something to get excited about for newcomers that are coming to this community. It makes Aurora even more appealing and more attractive for potential homeowners.”

Aurora Town Square is a total of 100,000 square feet with a 29,000-square-foot outdoor community space, an enclosed pedestrian bridge and a performance hall among other features.

There is a planned phased opening starting this year.