Batavia looks ahead to continued population growth in 2024

Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke said in 2024, the city will see a continuation of its housing growth.

“We have 549 new units of single-family and attached housing built, scattered throughout the town,” Schielke said.

The 55-acre Prairie Commons development, on South Kirk Road and Wind Energy Pass, has built 242 of those units as townhouses, he said.

“A few are under construction, but all those have been sold,” Schielke said.

Eighteen acres that front Kirk Road will be developed separately for commercial use, he added.

The city also has developers looking at an additional 250 to 300 more living units on Deerpath Road, but Schielke didn’t want to comment further, because it’s not a done deal.

“What you have to appreciate is that this is higher-priced housing,” Schielke said. “We will have people moving in — they have dollars to spend and want to get involved in the town and all the good stuff. We have quite a bit of activity.”

What this also means is more population for Batavia.

“Chicago has had a major move-out,” Schielke said. “They’ve lost several hundred thousand people and a lot have moved to the suburbs. I had our utility billing chase down who signed up for water, sewer and electric and there was a whole bunch from Chicago. … A lot of Chicago people are transplanting themselves to the suburbs.”

Fermilab, a federal particle physics and accelerator laboratory, which is building a new accelerator within the next three to four years, also is expected to add to Batavia’s population, Schielke said.

“It may add 2,200 more jobs out there,” he said.

Another plus to living in Batavia is its proximity to two Metra train lines and the tollway as well as the quality of Batavia Unit District 101, he said.

“We have people who show up here and want to get in by a date certain so their kids can try out for the football team,” Schielke said.