🏛️ A deeper look at the Campana building

To long-time Tri-Cities residents, the Campana Factory building simply blends into the local scenery. 

But I imagine it strikes the unfamiliar visitor as intriguingly out of place. Its Depression-era architecture (bold and stunning for its time) is unlike anything else in the area…and it seems to crop up as if out of nowhere from any angle you approach. 

After the building was sold in auction last week, I was chatting with my dad about it — and realized I didn’t know much about its history. So I thought a little refresher might be interesting for folks.

A historic architectural marvel

Towering over the corner of Fabyan Parkway and Route 31, the Campana Factory melds Bauhaus minimalism with Art Deco flair (terms you’re all familiar with, no doubt). The horizontal lines, glass brick facade, rounded corners and turquoise tile accents were popular design elements back when it was constructed in 1936. 

Although the building is on the north side of Fabyan, it’s considered part of Batavia.

Some fun facts:

• Campana’s top product in the 1930s was Italian Balm (a hand lotion), but the name was changed to Campana Balm when Italy joined the Axis Powers during WWII. 

• It was one of the first buildings to be fully air conditioned (which is why it lacks operational windows). 

• A 45,000-gallon water tank is used for water circulation, air conditioning and sprinklers (coming from a family of plumbers, that’s mind-boggling to me).

• During the 1960s, Campana merged with Purex, Allied Laboratories and Dow Chemical Company before leaving Batavia in the 1970s.

• The building is Batavia’s only locally recognized Historic Landmark.

Recent happenings

The Campana site made headlines in 2017 when a developer proposed converting it into 80 apartments — sparking controversy over potential impacts like parking and displaced businesses. Facing opposition, the developer ultimately withdrew those plans. 

Then, according to this Transwestern press release, Campana Redevelopment sold the building to Batavia Business Center, LLC in 2022. 

A number of local businesses have called the Campana building home in recent years. From what I can gather, current tenants include the All Dressed Up costume shop, Batavia Junk Removal, Velets Furniture and Rich Flores Swing Shop. 

More history

• The structure’s National Register of Historic Places nomination form is a treasure trove of info.

• Here’s an old Kane County Chronicle article detailing its history further.

📰 News to use

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☑️ Heroic effort: The Geneva Fire Department (with the help of Batavia and St. Charles) rescued a woman who jumped into the Fox River near the Geneva Dam on Monday.

☑️ Measles update: A case of measles has been reported in DuPage County for the first time in 15 years, but still no reports for Kane County.

🔒 Significant downsizing: After filing for bankruptcy, Oberweis Dairy plans to lay off more than 120 workers starting June 11.

☑️ Car crash: A 25-year-old St. Charles woman was seriously injured after her car collided with an NIU bus on Route 38 (also injuring the bus driver and several passengers).

🔒 Closure confirmed: Now with St. Charles City Council approval, a portion of Walnut Avenue will be closed through October to make way for outdoor dining.

☑️ House blaze: A fire that caused more than $100K in damage to a home on Royal Fox Drive in St. Charles on Tuesday is under investigation. No one was injured in the incident.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Cicada-geddon: Get details on where billions of cicadas will emerge across the state in upcoming weeks.

☑️ Gathering of goodwill: A volunteer fair on May 9 at the Batavia Public Library will feature 35 nonprofits, giving you a chance to find the perfect volunteer role to suit your passion and schedule.

☑️ Arbor honor: Another week, another accolade for Geneva — the Arbor Day Foundation has named it a "Tree City USA" for the 23rd time.

☑️ Power players: Batavia joined Geneva in being recognized for “exceptional electric reliability” by the American Public Power Association.

☑️ Impatiently waiting: The Batavia Park District’s Summer Fun Guide is full of special events, kids’ camps and entertaining family activities that’ll be here before you know it.

☑️ A family reunited: When five ducklings fell into a storm drain and got stuck on Monday, Geneva police and firefighters came to the rescue.

🎸 Live music 

It doesn’t appear as though it’ll be the best weekend for outdoor patio live music, but there are still plenty of performances to choose from.

Kiss The Sky in Batavia is celebrating Record Store Day all day tomorrow, with live performances from Noah Gabriel starting at 8:30AM and School of Rock Geneva at 6PM.

🏬 Local biz

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☑️ Farewell 318: Graham’s 318 Coffee House in Geneva announced that it will be closing for good on April 28.

☑️ Now open: Geneva Winery’s new Batavia location is now open with limited hours and a grand opening planned for Saturday. The Batavia Chamber will hold a ribbon cutting today at 4PM.

☑️ First responders: The STC Chamber speaks with Fire Chief Scott Swanson and Police Chief James Keegan about their departments’ roles in making St. Charles safe for residents and businesses.

*️⃣ Summer planning: Your deck, porch or gazebo is your outdoor living room for the summer — and our partners at 212° Construction Group are ready to help you build one just the way you like it.

🗓️ Events + things to do

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☑️ St. Charles Community Garage Sale | Fri-Sat, 8AM-4PM | The first of three citywide garage sales in the Tri-Cities! Location maps should be available on the Park District website today.

🎟️ The Magic of Zack Percell | Friday, 7PM | Moonlight Theatre, STC | One performance featuring visual magic, comedy, sleight of hand, mentalism and humor escape artistry.

🎟️ Steel Magnolias | Shows start Friday, 7:30PM | Steel Beam Theatre, Batavia | The heartwarming, timeless comedy-drama will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through May 12.

☑️ Record Store Day | All Day Saturday | Batavia Arts District | So much happening: Exclusive record drops + live music at Kiss The Sky, a coffee pop-up at Hearth & Hammer and a Swiftie party at Water Street Studios.

🎟️ Viking Ship Open Day | Saturday, 10AM-4:30PM | Good Templar Park, Geneva | Family-friendly, 30-minute ship tours start every 15 minutes and include Viking style-tools, clothing and weapons.

🎟️ Geneva Coffee Crawl | Saturday, 11AM-3PM | Downtown Geneva | A highly caffeinated, self-guided crawl featuring 22 local establishments.

🌎 Earth Day Celebration | Saturday, 11AM-1PM | Peck Farm Park, Geneva | Enjoy a scavenger hunt, games, art and plant giveaways — plus free recycling and a chance to connect with the Geneva Bike/Pedestrian Committee (Disclosure: I’m on that committee).

☑️ Red Cross Blood Drive | Sunday, 7AM-11AM | St. Mark’s Church, Geneva | Go out and donate blood — you can reserve a time here.

🎟️ Bhakta Spirits Tasting | Monday, 5PM | The Graceful Ordinary, STC | Experience the world of vintage spirits, exploring flavors from 1973 through 2013 with a guided presentation.

🌖 Weather snapshot

🌨️ Today: High 59F | Low 40F | Cloudy + rain

🌤️ Friday: High 58F | Low 36F | Gusty but nice

🌤️ Saturday: High 51F | Low 32F | A bit chillier

☀️ Sunday: High 55F | Low 34F | Full sun

📖 How am I doing?

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