New meeting and professional development space to open Friday in downtown Elgin
A passion for education and desire to express her creativity has led a veteran nurse to open a new professional development space in downtown Elgin.
Rose's Room, an event space intended for workshops, classes, meetings and other small gatherings, will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting at 5 p.m. Friday, May 15.
Alma Nunez, an Elgin native and nurse for the past 13 years, said she chose the space at 50 S. Grove Ave. because it’s a blank state that could have myriad uses.
“I love education and I love celebrating things,” she said. “I wanted some place that could be a mixture of both.”
The space will accommodate about 40 people and will be available to rent by the hour with a two-hour minimum. Rental rates are $100 per hour and add-ons such as TV/presentation setup, table covers, kitchenette access, decorative arches and other accessories are available.
“The thing that I like about it the most is that it can be used for so many different things,” she said.
While she plans to use it herself to teach CPR classes and envisions groups holding meetings or trainings there, the first use was for something entirely different.
“Someone rented it to propose to their girlfriend,” Nunez said. “They had a private lunch and I set up a heart arch and it was their time to have their private moment. That was super fun.”
A graduate of Elgin High School and Elgin Community College, Nunez said the city’s downtown was a natural fit for her.
“This place has done a lot for me and I’ve really learned and grown from it. For me to be able to give back in any way is awesome,” she said.
Nunez said she’s throwing around some ideas to create events that would work with some of the city’s happenings and festivals, like maybe creating a space for photo shoots during Nightmare on Chicago Street.
“I really want to work with what’s happening here in Elgin and branch off that,” she said.
A single mother, Nunez said the business is named after her 8-year-old daughter.
“She runs my life,” she said with a laugh. “She motivates me to do a lot of things, and she really pushes me and tells me I can do it.”
After all the work and preparation, Nunez said she’s ready to get down to business.
“I'm excited to utilize it and just actually get started, I’m so ready for it now,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what comes from it and what I can do with the space. I feel like there’s a lot of potential.”