Looking to eliminate red tape for new Batavia restaurant
Sam Gibson says “it is driving me crazy,” but he's determined to not let another stumbling block stop his desire to open the Golden Corral in Batavia as soon as possible.
Gibson, a resident of Plainfield and owner of another Golden Corral in Schererville, Ind., two months ago had expressed a desire to have the Batavia restaurant opened before the end of the year. When an original developer had trouble with a loan to finance the project, Gibson went from the role of franchiser to wanting to develop and operate the restaurant himself.
When the bank he and the original developer were working with ran into its own capital problems with the FDIC, it caused a significant delay, Gibson said. But he remained confident that a new lender would pave the way for him to open the restaurant.
The FDIC reared its head again, as Gibson has had to deal with the agency in regards to the property falling into the “short sale” category, or being worth less than the original loan. Basically, the FDIC is saying Gibson can't just walk away from the original loan established by the original developer, and would prefer a sale of the property or a reduced loan to minimize the original lender's risk.
Gibson views it as being caught in the middle of trying to switch lenders at a bad time.
“I know a letter from the mayor's office went out, urging them to expedite this process quickly,” Gibson said. “I am viewing it as a formality right now, and hope to get the approval and release to move forward (with a new lender). I am not going to give up on getting this site open.”
The shell for the Golden Corral family buffet restaurant is located in the Windmill Creek retail area off Randall Road and Main Street that includes Firestone and Discount Tire, a Mobil gas station, a Valvoline Instant Oil Change and the Aldi grocery store.
That Aldi store has a planned move next month to the former Bassett Furniture store location, just north of Hobby Lobby, on Randall Road. So, regardless of what happens with Golden Corral, some changes are coming to Windmill Creek.
Talk and action?
St. Charles city officials are taking another step toward finally getting a bridge crossing on Red Gate Road.
That's something you could have read in the Fox Valley newspapers in the 1920s. So, even though there seems to be some hope this time around, and we could actually see a bridge just north of downtown St. Charles in the next couple of years, it doesn't eliminate this sad fact:
When it comes to a bridge crossing just north of town, St. Charles and Kane County officials have nothing on the Chicago Cubs in terms of “lots of talk, but no action” in the past 100 years.
A goose by any name
An interesting question was recently posed: How did the Blue Goose supermarket in St. Charles get its name?
I had heard the story from Blue Goose owner Dave Lencioni many years ago, and my memory had it slightly mixed up. I thought the name came from a truck that Nancy Lencioni bought sometime in the 1930s or so that had a blue goose logo on the side.
But I was a bit off in that recollection.
The Blue Goose got its name because it was mostly known for selling fruit in 1928 when Nancy Lencioni first opened it at 205 W. Main St. in St. Charles. She created the name for her business when she spotted a blue goose as part of the logo on the side of a Pooley Fruit Co. carton. The fruit company actually squawked a little about it when the Blue Goose moved to its location at the corner of First and Illinois streets in 1963, but agreed it was OK as long as no other store in a 50-mile radius could copy it.
Warmth for beauty
You can help keep Geneva looking beautiful year-round, and make sure you stay warm this winter at the same time.
The Geneva Beautification Committee, which is responsible for the plantings and downtown gardens, is selling firewood by the bundle or face cord.
The bundles are $5 and available at the City Hall parking lot, and those interested in ordering a face cord for $90, plus a $30 delivery fee, can call Jim Gehring at (630) 208-9453.
It's the dresses
My wife seems pretty excited about the holiday luncheon and fashion show at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Lincoln Inn in Batavia.
She gets to show off clothes from the Dress Barn as a model in the show. Every time she's near a Dress Barn catalog, I've been getting the full description of each outfit she'll be wearing.
She said it's been a lot of fun to prepare for, and I suspect the ladies who attend this event, hosted by the Welcome Club of the Fox Valley to benefit TriCity Family Services, will be in for an enjoyable dose of holiday spirit.
Back to old times
Call it a throwback to yesteryear, and one that longtime very longtime residents of St. Charles would likely remember well.
Arcada Theatre owner Ron Onesti announced he is opening Club Arcada at the theater, a place for drinks and dancing.
Back when the Arcada Theatre was home to some of the biggest stars of the 1930s, a popular supper club off Main Street, at First Avenue right behind the theater, was called the Club Arcada.
St. Charles philanthropist Lester Norris turned the old Chronicle newspaper office into the Club Arcada and it was viewed as one of the classiest joints in the entire region.
dheun@sbcglobal.net