Celebrating the Raising of the First Walls in Aurora

Show Home Kickoff event
Micah Garrett of BuildBlock leads a group through the installation of an ICF wall

Major progress in Aurora: the walls are up at Illinois’ first Smart Neighborhood™!

On Tuesday, July 8, the Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity teams celebrated a major construction milestone as the initial insulating concrete form (ICF) walls went up on the first home in Habitat Green Freedom, a Nicor Gas Smart Neighborhood™ in Aurora, Illinois.

ICF walls, manufactured by BuildBlock Building Systems, are incredibly energy efficient. They can reduce homeowners’ energy bills by 30–40% and are just one of many features designed to make these homes more efficient and affordable

Event attendees included Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), Aurora Mayor John Laesch and Micah Garrett of BuildBlock, along with senior leadership from both Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity.

Barb Beckman, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, opened the event, calling it a long-awaited dream come true. “For Habitat, it’s really important for us and exciting for us to mark special moments. And this is certainly one of them,” said Beckman.

For Wendell Dallas, President & CEO of Nicor Gas, it was a momentous occasion seeing the walls go up on this home: “I’ve had the wonderful privilege of working with the team over these past few years, and now seeing this come up out of the ground to actually become a reality is just an amazing, wonderful, incredible achievement.”

Show Home Kickoff event
From left to right: Meena Beyers, Vice President of Business and Community Development, Nicor Gas; John Laesch, Mayor of Aurora; Wendell Dallas, President and CEO, Nicor Gas; Congressman Bill Foster, 11th District of Illinois; Barb Beckman, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley; Micah Garrett, Chief Operating Officer, BuildBlock Building Systems

Newly elected Aurora Mayor John Laesch was also in attendance. He spoke highly of the partnership between Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity, noting that projects only come together with the right partnerships and a committed mission. He also recognized just how forward-thinking this project truly is.

“This is the future to address the climate crisis, not only by reducing energy demand, but also by creating a safe, hurricane-proof home,” said Mayor Laesch.

For Congressman Foster, this project is extra special. He secured $1.25 million in federal funding for the infrastructure work in Aurora. He has watched as this project has come together—and he knows all that’s gone into it to reach this point.

“So many companies right now are stuck with a short-term ‘it is,’” said Congressman Foster. “They’re not making long-term investments like we’re seeing here. We should all be proud that we’re actually taking a longer-term view. And that Nicor Gas is an exception to what we’re seeing from so many companies.”

Habitat Green Freedom is about more than just building homes—it’s about building a future. With smart design, lasting partnerships and a shared commitment to community, this project is laying the foundation for a new era of affordable, sustainable living

To read more about the event, check out this article in The Aurora Beacon-News.

 

Follow along here for construction progress, partner spotlights and more!