Geneva Commons to celebrate new gathering area

Geneva Commons will mark the official reopening of its newly renovated central courtyard area with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 22.

Kevin Burns, mayor of the City of Geneva, will officiate at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new gathering area has undergone a significant transformation, which is the largest renovation in Geneva Commons' history. The monthslong redesign project has created a parklike space that will serve as the focal point of the property, where visitors to the outdoor lifestyle shopping center can gather and take in the new features, including comfortable seating, pergola, fireplace, life-size chessboard, grassy expanses and more. A variety of special events will be hosted in the new area throughout the year, including movie nights, fitness seminars, ice skating and concerts.

To celebrate the grand reopening, the Geneva Commons team has planned a summer picnic themed event from 2:30 to 4 p.m. that is free and open to the public. There will be corn hole and other lawn games, prizes, face painting, balloon art, picnic fare, DJ music and costumed characters. Visitors can enter to win the grand prize of a $1,000 Geneva Commons shopping spree. The day's events will culminate in a live performance by The Neverly Brothers from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., kicking off the 16th annual Geneva Commons Summer Concert Series, a thrice-weekly free concert series running through July 15.

"The excitement is palpable," says Cathy Charhut, property manager of Geneva Commons.

"We are excited to kick off the summer by delivering this dynamic, newly redesigned gathering area to the Geneva community," said Nick Koshiw, vice president of LaSalle Investment Management, the owner of Geneva Commons.

The new gathering area was designed by the architectural firm of Kimley Horn. Mid-America Asset Management Inc. handled the construction project, with Builtech acting as the general contractor.

The lifestyle center serving the West suburban Chicago metropolitan area, it features a wide selection of stores and restaurants, including Crate & Barrel, Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes & Noble, Forever 21, Sephora, H&M, Williams-Sonoma, California Pizza Kitchen, Houlihan's, Bar Louie, and over 70 specialty shops and dining options.