Aurora is eyeing a big comeback story for the long-vacant former U.S. Post Office on Stolp Island, with city officials floating the idea of turning the historic shell into a downtown cultural arts hub. The formal public input process is expected to kick off in April 2026, when residents will be asked whether the building at 18 W. Benton St. — most recently home to SciTech for decades — should become a space for artist studios, galleries or intimate performance venues. City leaders and arts advocates say a dedicated arts anchor could help boost downtown foot traffic that has slipped as venues rethink their programming.
Chief Community Services Officer Nicole Mullins said the city is preparing a broad cultural plan and will rely on surveys and targeted listening sessions to shape it. She told the Chicago Tribune those sessions will be tailored to visual artists, performing artists and downtown stakeholders as Aurora maps out possible uses and costs for the former post office.
A historic shell at the heart of downtown
The ornate brick and terra cotta structure at 18 W. Benton St. is the old U.S. Post Office and is listed as a contributing building within the Stolp Island historic district, according to the City of Aurora. After its postal days, the property housed the SciTech Hands-On Museum. It now sits just steps from the Paramount Theatre and other downtown anchors, placing it squarely in what officials like to call Aurora’s cultural corridor.
Money, timing and a lot of “wait and see”
Mayor John Laesch has cautioned that it is too early to lock in a permanent use for the building and noted that this year’s city budget does not include money for major renovations. Previous city estimates put repair costs in the millions, and Laesch has floated a possible streaming entertainment tax as one way to help cover a future conversion.
Mullins also told the Chicago Tribune that the city intends to steer neighborhood festival grant dollars toward community-led cultural events downtown. In the meantime, officials say the building’s back patio can keep hosting activities while everyone debates what the bigger reboot should look like.
Borrowing a page from Batavia
To help residents picture the possibilities, city leaders have pointed to Batavia’s Water Street Studios as a real-world example of adaptive reuse. The nonprofit arts center blends artist studios, classrooms, rotating gallery shows and event rentals under one historic roof. The setup demonstrates how rehabbing a central, older building can create affordable workspaces for artists, provide public programming and still bring in revenue through rentals, according to Water Street Studios…