Firm takes spot along State Street
Jim Dorn says his previous business office was "boring" because it was located in a secluded Rolling Meadows office park "where everyone blended together."
Dorn and his wife Linda won't be bored after moving their marketing firm to 121 W. State St., last month after purchasing the building, one of the oldest in Geneva, from Bill Kohanek.
"The new facility is fantastic," Jim said of the new home for his full-service firm that specializes in marketing strategies for clients. "Now, we are on a busy street with tons of energy and activity to help us stay fresh and creative."
Jim understands the significance of landing a spot along Geneva's State Street in this beautiful stone structure that housed Kohanek's antiques business for years.
"Our office is really a first-floor storefront within a historic building," he said. "Many people stop in to ask what type of business we are because our sign is not up yet and we welcome the conversation and enjoy meeting new people."
Another form: A reader dropped me a note saying she was glad I mentioned the Springview Family Restaurant was closing because she also enjoyed the restaurant and hoped it would return. But she wasn't certain that would happen.
The Sellas family, which owns Springview, hasn't publicly touted its plans, but they own the Clark gas station across the street from the restaurant and have informed the city of an intention to redevelop that whole corner.
A restaurant will be hooked into that plan, and it can best be described now as Springview just taking on a new form -- until the family provides more details to city planners.
Not best appearance: Setbacks and nice landscaping were keys to any agreements when Batavia and Geneva city officials sat down with commercial developers eyeing Randall Road parcels.
City officials usually got what they were asking for, and the results can be seen in eye-catching landscaping, particularly at the corner of Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road.
Batavia's southwest side of that intersection is quite nice, and Geneva's on the northwest side is solid as well. However, some dump trucks, earthmovers and concrete blocks piled up in the Gander Mountain parking lot have been a terrible eyesore this winter.
With warmer weather coming, we're hoping to see that junk removed from that busy corner. Whoever allowed those parking spots might want to reconsider next year.
Not a great movie: For just a moment, I thought there was a megahit movie showing at the long-empty Foxfield Theater on the east side of St. Charles. I had forgotten that McGrath Honda on the east side uses that lot for its overflow of used and new cars. So, no, the theater didn't reopen with a Three Stooges festival or something similar that would draw huge crowds.
This is louder: Last week I complained about the noise when garbage cans were banged around in the wee hours, but some folks in Batavia tell me that's nothing. They claim the jackhammers working on the Wilson Street bridge at 3 or 4 a.m. are far more annoying.
dheun@sbcglobal.net