Naperville’s top stories of 2023

Oh, how quickly we forget. Big news in March or June is easily relegated to the book of ancient history by the time we reach December.

But if newspapers are the “first rough draft of history,” there is insight to be gained by reviewing those things that made headlines over the last 365 days. These are the stories the Naperville Sun has deemed the most important of 2023 as we anticipate the new year ahead.

First new mayor in eight years

After a hotly contested election, Naperville voters chose Scott Wehrli — a political newcomer but familiar face locally — as their next mayor.

Wehrli, whose family settled in Naperville in 1840, officially assumed the seat in May. He succeeded Steve Chirico, who stepped down after eight years, and beat Naperville City Councilman Benny White.

His was one of four new faces to come to the dais following April balloting. Also elected to their first terms on the council were Allison Longenbaugh, Josh McBroom and Nate Wilson.

Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen opens

After months of anticipation, Michelin-starred celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay launched his third Ramsay’s Kitchen in downtown Naperville in late May.

The much-hyped opening was met with high praise as people vied to snag a reservation and maybe a slice of Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington, no small commitment at $64.

Ramsay hails from the United Kingdom but operates more than two dozen restaurants in the United States and has made a name for himself on Amercian television with such shows as “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.” The closest Ramsay iteration to Naperville’s 39 W. Jefferson Ave. operation is the Gordon Ramsay Burger restaurant at 2 E. Ontario St. in Chicago.

Plans for Block 59 announced

In late March, hefty plans to upgrade the decades-old Heritage Square shopping center at the northwest corner of Aurora Avenue and Route 59 cleared the Naperville City Council.

The project — dubbed Block 59 — is envisioned as a 16.5-acre upscale dining and entertainment destination that developers hope will make Naperville even more of a must-visit location for out-of-towners than it already is. The venture is the brainchild of Heritage Square owner, New York-based Brixmor Property Group.

Project plans approved by elected officials in the spring require the demolition of all but two of the existing buildings in the Heritage shopping center and the construction of 11 new buildings.

A highlight of the complex will be a four-season plaza for concerts and festivals in the warmer months and skating in the winter.

Automatic rifle ban in court

Through the year, Naperville’s ban on assault rifle sales — as well as similar legislation approved by the Illinois General Assembly — have survived court challenge after court challenge.

Naperville has prohibited the sale of assault rifles since the outset of 2023. In January, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a sweeping ban on high-powered guns, immediately prohibiting their sale in Illinois.

The city and state laws were prompted by the 2022 Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, which claimed seven lives and injured dozens of others.

Opponents have tried repeatedly to put a hold on the bans but efforts so far have been unsuccessful. Most recently, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from gun rights advocates to put a hold on the sales bans in mid-December.

Legal challenges, however, are presumably not over.

A year of gun busts

Naperville authorities saw an escalating number of gun seizures this year.

In March, police reported that since 2019, the number of firearms the department had seized had risen by 170%. Similarly, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office reported this year that between 2019 and 2022, the number of cases of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon increased 195%.

Some of the most high profile 2023 seizures included a string of gun busts at Naperville’s TopGolf facility and a pair of gun-related arrests at the city’s Bowlero entertainment venue, all of which took place during a fourth month span from September to December.

Eva Liu murdered in Germany

When a 21-year-old woman was thrown to her death while on a cliff from which Germany’s famed Neuschwanstein Castle could be viewed, it made international headlines. That the victim was Naperville resident Eva Liu seemed hard to fathom.

Liu and a friend had made the trip to Europe to celebrate their recent graduation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The pair encountered a fellow American traveler, who allegedly lured them to a desolate area, attempted to assault Liu and ultimately threw both her and her companion into a ravine, German police said.

Miraculously, the friend survived. The suspect was indicted on murder and attempted murder charges.

Washington Street bridge work

After decades of discussion and planning and waiting, work started in the spring on a full replacement of Naperville’s downtown Washington Street bridge, which had disintegrated to the point where the four-lane span was reduced to two and weight limits imposed.

What was planned as a two-year project with a summer 2024 completion date quickly went off schedule, however. By September, city officials reported that construction on the bridge was already two months behind and now wouldn’t be finished until 2025.

Meanwhile, nearby restaurants reported that the project hurt business through the spring and summer, as construction caused an ongoing headache of dust in the air, noise and congested roads, discouraging people from dining outside when weather permitted.

Ever-changing business scene

The list of Naperville businesses that ended operations this year is a long one, including Francesca’s Passagio, Soft Surroundings, LA Fitness, Elgin Clock Repair, Lauren Rae Jewelry Boutique, Chez Francois Poutinerie and Shiffler Builders. Perhaps most surprising was last week’s announcement that Barnes & Noble bookstore was to depart in January after 25 years downtown.

But as is always true for this city, there was no shortage of new businesses setting up shop, especially restaurants. New the scene were such places as Entourage, Davanti Enoteca, Miskatonic Brewing Company, Kura Sushi, Tasty Biscuit, Pho Chicago & Cajun, Bombay Eats, Duck Donuts, Sweetgreen and its robotic salad-making system, and the huge Matrix Club.

And don’t forget that pickleball was huge in 2023. Not only did the Naperville Park District add six new courts at Frontier Sports Complex, privately owned Sure Shot Pickleball opened 11 indoor courts in September and plans were announced for a new Picklr pickleball court franchise on Route 59.

tkenny@chicagotribune.com

ksorensen@chicagotribune.com