Ground Breaks For Affordable Housing Complex At Former Aurora Schools

AURORA, IL — Officials broke ground Thursday on Aurora's newest affordable housing apartment complex that will make use of the lots of two vacant elementary schools.

The new Fox Valley Apartments will be located at the former Lincoln Elementary School and nearby Todd Elementary School, which have been vacant since 2009 and 2019, respectively. Grand opening is expected next spring, officials said.

The complex will house 47 units, a mix of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Apartments will be reserved for tenants making between $18,000 and $63,000 a year, Patch reported.

RELATED: Two Vacant Aurora Schools Will Be Turned Into Apartment Complexes

The initiative is a collaboration between Aurora and Visionary Ventures, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that provides opportunities and housing access for Native Americans and underserved and low-income populations, officials said.

To honor the city's history with the indigenous community, the ground-breaking ceremony featured a special Native American land acknowledgment and blessing from Ronnie Preston of the American Indian Center.

Lincoln Elementary School's former principal, Cynthia Latimer, also presented the last flag that flew at the school to the new property owners. The flag will be raised at the grand-opening event next spring, officials said.