Batavia is continuing to move forward with its plans to construct a new downtown plaza where the old Tin Shop building, which was recently demolished, once stood.
On Monday, the City Council approved a construction contract for sitework at the location, in the latest step toward the creation of the new plaza.
The future of Batavia’s Tin Shop building at 106 N. River St. had long been in question.
In the years since the failed One Washington Place project, the city had been marketing the building and other city-owned properties for sale. The city at one point received a proposal for the land and was negotiating the property’s sale and development, but it never entered into a formal contract and terminated negotiations in 2023.
Then, in January 2025, the Batavia City Council voted for a certificate of appropriateness that paved the way for the Tin Shop building to either be relocated or demolished. Because the structure, built in 1890, is within the city’s historic district, a certificate of appropriateness is required for exterior work on the building, including relocation and demolition.
The suggestion to either relocate or demolish the building had been recommended by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, with the caveat that some of the materials from the building be salvaged. The city’s Community and Economic Development Director Scott Buening previously said that it was going to cost nearly $1 million for the city to rehabilitate the building.
The City Council then returned to the matter in August, approving a contract with Fowler Enterprises for $33,450 to tear down the building. As part of the demolition, the city asked that the “sign” on the north side of the building be preserved, and that some of the wood from the building be reclaimed as long as it does not substantially interfere with the demolition process. The building was ultimately demolished in January.
Now, with the Tin Shop building torn down, the city is moving forward with its plans to turn the site into a public plaza.
In July, the City Council approved the purchase of a public restroom facility planned for the plaza. The facility, which would be a double unit, cleans after each use and deep cleans every hour, and is set to be open year-round. The plaza is also set to include additional benches to meet demand for seating, particularly during busy times like the weekly farmers market.
“The River Street Plaza is about creating a space where people want to spend time — whether they’re attending an event, visiting the farmers market or simply enjoying downtown Batavia,” Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman said in a news release from the city.
In addition to the restroom and seating, the plaza is set to include things like bike racks, a bike repair station and native pollinator plantings, according to the city, as well as public art elements, a limestone feature meant to function as a retaining wall and a punched metal fence and trellis with climbing plants.
The contract approved Monday is with Landmark Contractors, Inc., for an estimated cost of $559,517, with a contingency for a total amount of no higher than $618,000, according to documents from the city included in Monday’s meeting agenda. The project will include accessible paving, landscaping, site furnishings, lighting and utility connections at the site.
Landmark Contractors, Inc., has completed similar projects in nearby communities like Aurora and Roselle, the memo from the city noted.
The project is being funded through the city’s tax increment financing, or TIF, District 3, according to the memo.
Construction is set to begin in March or April, and is planned to be substantially completed in June, per the city. Upon completion, the plaza will be maintained by the city’s Public Works Department.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/03/batavia-downtown-plaza-construction-at-old-tin-shop-site/
