🏭️ Historic St. Charles dairy building gets a new lease on life

For more than a century, the former Riverview Dairy building has stood on the east bank of the Fox River in St. Charles.

During those decades, it’s served as a dairy processing plant, an ice cream factory, a bike shop and even home to the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, however, it’s been sitting in limbo — despite being approved for demolition in 2022 to make way for a five-story apartment complex.

According to the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, that fate has changed. Instead of being torn down, the historic structure at 216 S. Riverside Ave. will be restored and put back to use.

What happened? The building’s owner recently received approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission for structural modifications that will allow a new tenant to spearhead its revival.

What’s changing? While the rehab plans aim to preserve the character of the 1920s-era brick building, some notable changes are in the works — including the removal of a smokestack due to safety concerns and the addition of new doors.

A look back: The building was constructed sometime between 1912 and 1923 as a receiving plant for the Bowman Dairy Company, a major player in the region’s dairy industry. Those historical ties earned the building a designation as a contributing structure within the St. Charles Central Historic District.

📰 News to use

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☑️ Countdown is on: Key dates in the upcoming local election are quickly approaching — learn more about early voting, mail-in ballots and contested races. Shaw Local has published Q&A’s (🔒) with many of the Tri-Cities mayoral and City Council candidates as well.

☑️ STC violence: A late-night gathering in St. Charles last week took a violent turn when a man allegedly stabbed his friend, leading to a SWAT team response and an arrest. Police are still investigating the incident.

☑️ Real ID options: As state facilities try to keep up with surging demand, Illinois officials announced the addition of "Real ID Saturdays" at 12 DMVs, including St. Charles, Aurora and Elgin.

🔒 Election discussion: St. Charles mayor Lora Vitek and challenger Clint Hull responded to questions about their qualifications and key local issues in a recent video interview with the Daily Herald.

🔒 Candidates speak: At a recent Geneva Township GOP event, mayoral challenger Karsten Pawlik and 5th Ward candidate Patrice Bertheau made their case to voters, weighing in on key issues like transparency, historic preservation and the potential removal of the Geneva dam.

☑️ Husky hustle: NIU is making big moves in 2026, shifting most of its sports teams to the Horizon League while its football program heads to the Mountain West Conference.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Bikes + brushstrokes: Community members turned out for the grand opening of the new St. Charles Motorcycle Museum & Art Gallery on Friday night. See photos of the event.

☑️ Expert tax help: Trained AARP volunteers will be offering free tax preparation appointments for anyone with individual Federal and State of Illinois returns at the St. Charles Library on Friday (3/7). Get the details here.

☑️ Lazarus transition: Julie Purcell announced that she will be stepping down as Executive Director of Lazarus House in St. Charles after 14 years leading the beloved nonprofit shelter. See her letter and a message from Board President Bob McDowell.

☑️ Spring search: Batavia MainStreet is launching a month-long scavenger hunt starting Saturday (3/8), inviting residents to explore downtown businesses for a chance to win $800 in Downtown Batavia Dollars. Learn how the interactive game will work.

☑️ Seasonal selection: The Batavia Public Library’s free Seed Library is now open — head on over to see the collection of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs.

☑️ Fox focus: From dam removals and river otters to climate resilience and conservation efforts, an upcoming Fox River Summit in Burlington, WI on 3/13 will feature expert insights on our favorite waterway. Folks can attend in person or via Zoom.

🎸 Live music

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In addition to the usual weekly programming, the Arcada Theatre will host a Mardi Gras party on Wednesday night in its Rock N Ravioli space featuring the Downtown Charlie Brown band.

🤝 Local biz

☑️ Now open: As of Saturday, Rud Dogs (from the ownership group behind Rudy’s Bar and R House) is now dishing out late-night hot dogs and comfort food with delivery to nearby bars in downtown St. Charles.

☑️ Local liquor store: According to this city memo, the former 7-Eleven space at 366 E. Wilson in Batavia will likely soon be home to a business called Windmill Food Wine and Spirits.

☑️ Lucky charms: Downtown Geneva is bringing a bit of Irish luck to local shopping this month with a special promotion — folks can shop, dine and collect gold coins at participating businesses for a chance to win one of four $500 prize baskets.

☑️ Authentic eats: Latin Grammy winner and Aurora native Memo Ibarra just opened Menudazo, a new restaurant on the east side of Aurora serving up authentic Mexican soups like menudo and posole.

☑️ Restaurant specials: Flagship on the Fox has a killer Monday burger/beer special; Bien Trucha’s got $10 off margarita pitchers on Thursdays; and Portofino in Campton Hills offers a bevy of weekday deals.

🗞️ Un-classifieds

☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales for Kane County — including this 10K-square-foot, $1.7M mansion on Dover Hill Road and this $1.1M home on Henry David Thoreau Place — both in St. Charles.

☑️ Local obits: Recent obituaries posted by Tri-Cities funeral homes.

☑️ City meetings:

• Monday (3/3): Geneva City Council meeting (agenda) and Committee of the Whole meeting (agenda)

• Monday (3/3): Batavia City Council meeting (agenda)

• Monday (3/3): St. Charles City Council meeting (agenda)

☑️ Police reports: Batavia police report summaries | Geneva police reports

🗓️ Events & Things to Do

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🎟️ Mardi Gras: Laws Whiskey Cocktail Dinner | Tues 3/4 | Livia, Geneva | Celebrate the occasion with a curated dining experience.

☑️ Light for Our Democracy Vigil | Tues 3/4, 7:30-9:30PM | Calvary Episcopal Church, Batavia | Community members will come together to advocate for a healthy democracy.

☑️ Meet the Candidates | Wed 3/5, 6:30-8PM | Baker Community Center, STC | Chat with 26+ candidates running for office in Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles.

☑️ 2025 Candidate Forum | Thurs 3/6, 10AM-1PM | Realtor Assn of the Fox Valley, STC | The STC Chamber is hosting a forum featuring mayoral and City Council candidates.

🎟️ Soup’s On! Tasting Event | Thurs 3/6, 6-8PM | Pal Joey’s, Batavia | Sample soup from local restaurants, hang with neighbors and support Batavia United Way.

🎟️ Save the Date: Help & Hope 5K | Sat 5/17 | LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, STC | Organized by Second Act | Scene 2, the race will help support disadvantaged community members with high-quality counseling.

🌖 Weather snapshot

☁️ Today: High 48F | Low 37F | Cloud city

🌧️ Tuesday: High 55F | Low 37F | Patches of rain

🌧️ Wednesday: High 40F | Low 25F | Wintry mix

🌤️ Thursday: High 45F | Low 28F | Sun + windy

📖 Thanks for reading

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