Resources & Incentives

Downtown Aurora

Aurora’s downtown is home to one-of-a-kind shops, great theater, dozens of locally-owned restaurants, a live music venue, several salons, cool barbershops, jewelry stores, bakeries, personal trainers, and so much more.

We invite you to join us in downtown Aurora. Join people like Jimi Allen, who opened the Gravity Building; entrepreneurs like Shannon Gutierrez of Wyckwood House and Yvonne Thompson of The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange; and dreamers like Cody Lorance, who opened Endiro Coffee’s first US location for the Ugandan cafe right here in downtown Aurora.

Now is the perfect time to bring your business to downtown, or to open that storefront you’ve always dreamed about.

Own a Downtown Business?

Do you rent a downtown storefront? Curious about downtown guidelines for signage or other improvements? The downtown core and downtown fringe zoning districts adhere to architectural design guidelines and implementation strategies provided by the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Guidelines. The guidelines were updated in 2008 and can be viewed here.

Interested in Aurora Downtown’s small business grants? Click on the link at the bottom of the page for more information. 

Downtown Aurora is the heart and soul of Illinois’ second-largest city. Our thirty-block district boasts significant architecture, residential opportunities, and a diverse group of over 250 independently-owned businesses. We welcome visitors by plane, train, Pace Bus, Greyhound, car (Route 25, Route 31, and I-88), or bicycle (we have three bicycle rental stations in downtown).

Want to know more about downtown? Contact Aurora Downtown. We’d love to help you find just the right spot in downtown Aurora.

Everyone is welcome!

How Can We Help?

Let us help you get started in starting or growing your business in downtown Aurora. Check out these amazing local resources.

TIF-financed assistance is available from the city of Aurora for investors interested in rehabbing existing buildings. Contact Invest Aurora to start searching for your perfect location in downtown Aurora.

Learn more about the John C. Dunham Revolving Loan Program, the Finish Line Grant program, and the incentives associated with the River Edge Redevelopment zone here.