Downtown Geneva’s new face: Project on East State Street divides opinions

How important is a city’s streetscape, or cityscape, to its residents, merchants and potential merchants?

Does your main street’s look provide an economic push, or is it simply an aesthetic touch, where your neighbors may operate businesses and your childhood memories can linger? In that scenario, is it the key ingredient that gives your city its level of “charm?”

Those questions are nearly one and the same, considering virtually every city undergoes changes over time. Yet, those changes can come as quite a jolt to residents if they represent a dramatically new look. In short, our eyes are the first to tell us what we think, regardless of any other factors.

That might be the case in Geneva with the construction work unfolding for The Roosevelt project on East State Street at Crissey Avenue.

It certainly stands out, if you had become used to a certain streetscape upon entering downtown Geneva from the east along State Street. Once completed next year, it will also be noticeable to those heading east on State Street.

The construction of the 7,000-square-foot, three-story building at 130 E. State St. has some residents saying it will ruin the view of downtown Geneva and the Fox River when entering the city.

According to city development files, this mixed-use project through Emerald Holdings LLC will house Great Western Flooring on the first floor, and will include 14 residential housing units, as well as open space for its residents and other potential commercial uses on the second and third floors. Horizon of Madison, Wisconsin, is the general contractor.

Strictly from the standpoint of being concerned about how it changes the look and feel of Geneva, this reaction is understandable. The building location at the southwest corner of State Street and Crissey Avenue provides something larger than anything previously built along this city block.

Yet, for more than 20 years, portions of East State Street have been earmarked for redevelopment with tax incentives. The city has long wanted to see growth and activity on the east side of the Fox River.

At the same time, there has been speculation as to why the city approved this project yet hasn’t done anything with the former Mill Race Inn property nearby.

Just to clarify, Shodeen Group’s entity of Shodeen Family Foundation and Mill Race Land Company LLC owns the Mill Race property and has hit a few bumps in terms of what to do with the historic blacksmith shop in disrepair on the property.

As many folks in the Tri-Cities know, Shodeen has undertaken many successful projects in the area but rarely has had a fast timetable for them. Most, in fact, take several years to shake out, especially if projects come under historic preservation or other city scrutiny.

It’s all part of progress. And we’ll get used to Emerald Holdings’ The Roosevelt project in Geneva as well, while anxiously awaiting the Mill Race property coming back to life.

Other cityscape changes

Even though we sometimes don’t like to see change in our downtowns, they eventually come to define the new cityscape.

During an era of urban renewal 35 years ago, Batavia planners knew the city’s residents had a fondness for the historic significance of various factories along the river, particularly the Appleton Manufacturing Co. windmill factory.

They opted to keep that history intact in 1990, as the city’s Government Center on North Island Avenue became located in that 124-year-old limestone and timber building. It changed the cityscape in a way most residents embraced.

For history buffs, Mayor Jeff Schielke, whose name now graces the government center building, likes to mention components for the rockets that sent Americans to the moon were made in that Appleton factory.

The government center fit right in as nearby development for what is now the city’s Riverwalk changed the face of downtown.

There were also many who dreaded having the old high school/junior high school building taken down on Wilson Street for the new Batavia library. That library has been a great addition to the downtown.

Another example is how we’re getting used to the changes on First Street in St. Charles but missing the sight of the Hotel Baker, Main Street Bridge and Municipal Center campus from a distance. You used to be able to see all of that when walking or driving north toward downtown.

Instead, you now see a bank building, condominiums and a built-up First Street. I miss the Manor Restaurant, Vi’s Last Call bar, Gunter’s Clothing Store and the Blue Goose grocery store from yesteryear as much as any longtime resident, but the modern First Street in St. Charles is a tremendous attraction for the city and a major improvement.

Adding thousands of daffodils

If you see people busy working in the flower beds at Mount St. Mary Park in St. Charles on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 18, they are looking forward to the future — as in next spring.

That’s when the daffodil bulbs they are planting will bloom and once again reveal their beauty along the west end of the park.

Volunteers have been doing this for several years now, to the tune of having already planted more than 25,000 daffodils and more than 800 bluebells, another beautiful perennial that stands out no matter where it is planted.

Each year, planters add roughly 5,000 more daffodil bulbs and 150 bluebells as part of the annual Project Daffodil organized through the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles.

Corron Farm celebration

It was an interesting experience when our friend Dave Corron took us through the barn at his family’s farm on the west side of St. Charles.

He was showing me what he had to do to milk the cows at about 4 a.m. daily. It was good for both man and animal that I wasn’t raised on a farm, as the dedication and work involved in just the milking process would have been a significant challenge.

You can get an idea of what I’m talking about during the 190th anniversary celebration of the historic Corron Farm from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the farm, 7N761 Corron Road. The free event features wagon rides, pumpkin decorating, and a bouncy house for kids. Some free treats like s’mores and apple cider are available, and other food items will be for sale.

Music and other entertainment will take place during the event.

Another Costco temptation

For years prior to my retirement from full-time work, I often told my wife that one of the great things about being retired would be eating at the Costco food court in St. Charles on a weekday.

I’ve been retired for nearly five years, and that hasn’t happened yet. But Costco is doing everything it can to lure me in.

This time, it’s the introduction of the caramel brownie sundae at the food court. Hot dogs and pizza would generally be enough to catch my attention, but Costco’s social media post and close-up photo of this particular sundae takes temptation to a new level.

Now, I just have to figure this out: Do people use the food court after they have shopped, or before? Or are these the people who find “something else to do” while the spouse or parent is shopping? Or do some simply stop at Costco for lunch?

It’s a mystery that any caramel brownie sundae should be able to solve.

Did you know?

Many cities have an historical record of their first years of existence, usually as small towns in the 1800s. Often, it is a volume of clerk’s notes from observing town board actions.

You’d be surprised what these types of notes reveal.

One such handwritten volume, called Record One, gives us an idea of the kind of rules Batavians were to follow. Because of its importance in the city’s history, it has been secured in a vault at the Batavia Government Center for nearly 170 years.

Those who might look over Record One in today’s modern era would come to the obvious conclusion: This is an old document. But mostly, it would likely leave modern Batavians somewhat fascinated — and amused.

When Batavia was incorporated into a town in 1856, the first order of business was simply to let residents know how they should act.

In that regard, Record One stated no one could bathe or swim in the Fox River or pond within the town’s limits between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. In other words, being in the river naked was OK as long as it was too dark for anyone else to see.

Anyone who violated that rule was subject to a fine of “no less than one, nor more than five dollars.”

Another rule prohibited the selling or bartering of wines, gin, rums, brandy, whiskey, beer and other intoxicating liquors within the town of Batavia. The exception to that rule? A druggist could provide it in good faith and for “medicinal reasons.”

There are many others, of course, but this one should get a chuckle out of today’s young adults: In May 1859, the board required each male resident older than 21 to work at least three days a year to clean streets, alleys and walkways — or opt to pay the town $2.25 for the year.

dheun@sbcglobal.net