New Plan Needed for Vacant Strip Mall
Now that the recreation center, parking garage and new retail space are off the table, the city is looking for new ideas about how to turn an eyesore into a downtown jewel.
Batavia city and park district officials this month will brainstorm how to redevelop a downtown strip mall, where they had once hoped to build a recreation center and parking garage. "We don't have anything to bring to the City Council yet, but we are tossing some ideas around," said City Administrator Bill McGrath. He added that he does not yet know if the city would propose to buy the property and build a public facility on it; buy the property and resell it to a developer; or work with the current owners to redevelop the land. Chicago-based Preferred Development cancelled its option to buy the defunct strip mall on the northwest corner of Wilson Street and Island Avenue after residents voted Nov. 2 against a $20 million bond issue to …
