Good morning!

It’s officially fall, but it certainly hasn’t felt like it. As much as I’ve been jonesing to get a bonfire going around dusk, the lingering 80-degree temps haven’t done much to foster a flannel and s’mores type of mood.

Luckily, next weekend’s forecast is looking a bit more autumn-like.

Monday tip: If you feel like going out for lunch or dinner today (Monday 9/22), Stockholm’s in Geneva has a promo where all you have to do is prove that you’ve subscribed to their Untappd profile to get $5 off your $30 check.

📮 Need to contact me with questions, tips or suggestions? Get in touch here.

Over the past week or so, a few folks have asked about the abrupt demolition of a block’s worth of houses along Route 31 between Stevens and Ford Streets in Geneva.

Hopefully this helps clear things up.

Demolition crews have been clearing the site at 302 River Lane (bordered by Stevens Street, Ford Street, and First Street) to make way for a new riverfront housing development approved by the City Council late last year. The site was home to the old Geneva Bottling Works building.

The project, led by Benchmark Developers, went through months of review by city commissions before receiving council approval in November 2024.

I went down to check out the site on Friday morning (September 19), where demolition work was ongoing:

Supporters on the council highlighted the project’s potential to add downtown density, improve riverfront access, and create maintenance-free housing close to shops and restaurants.

A rendering from the plan:

Here’s some additional context from the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley from back in February 2024 when the plan was working its way through the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission.

Get comprehensive details about the project on pages 75-115 of this Geneva City Council packet from November 2024.

☑️ Pickled past: In a legacy that carries on today, why was St. Charles officially proclaimed the “Pickle Capital of the World” in 1978?

☑️ Introducing Ignite: A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Ignite Medical Resort at 2349 Main Street in Batavia was held on Thursday afternoon. Learn more about the new facility.

The 🔒 symbol indicates a potential paywall.

☑️ E-bike debate: St. Charles officials are considering adopting local rules for e-bikes and scooters that would allow police to issue city citations and set fines for violations. The regulations would largely mirror state law.

🔒 Court clash: The seemingly never-ending dispute between Geneva and developer Shodeen Group over adding tarp protection to the 1840s downtown blacksmith shop has racked up over $250K in fines, with a judge set to rule October 2 after recent court proceedings.

☑️ Mosquito awareness: Kane County health officials are urging residents to take precautions against West Nile virus after Illinois reported its first virus-related death of 2025.

☑️ Housing progress: Final inspections begin this week on a 75-unit residential building directly behind the Jewel-Osco north of Route 38 and east of Randall Road in St. Charles. It’s part of the ongoing Prairie Center project.

☑️ Gridlock remedy: With utility work reducing East State Street to one lane each way, Geneva officials say drivers should ease traffic by using a zipper merge (taking turns at the merge point during heavy congestion). Their update includes a short video illustrating the system.

☑️ Potential downtown demo: Batavia United Methodist Church is seeking approval to demolish a vacant Water Street building downtown, with plans to temporarily restore the site to grass and possibly use it for parking in the future.

Side note on this: My late grandpa Karl Kraft bought this building in 1970, which served as the office and shop for K.W. Kraft & Sons Plumbing until 1994. Prior to Karl purchasing it, the property was home to the old Batavia Dairy barn (the dairy kept their trucks there). It had no plumbing, no water, and no sewage connection.

Karl immediately brought in an excavator buddy to get the building all fixed up with water and sewer (back then, no permit or anything was necessary — how times have changed).

Here are the guys at the shop sometime in the 80s:

After Kraft Plumbing moved to its 1st Street location in 1994, the business rented out the Water Street property until 2018, when the United Methodist Church bought it.

☑️ As clutch as it gets: The Kane County Cougars won the league championship in a 7–5 extra-innings thriller on Saturday over the Sioux Falls Canaries. Watch Claudio Finol’s grand slam that sealed the Game 5 victory.

☑️ A successful showing: The Geneva, Batavia, and St. Charles chambers teamed up for the first-ever Tri-City Business Expo, bringing together 45 local businesses for networking, community connections, and a public showcase.

☑️ Maintaining a healthy Fox: Dozens of volunteers in St. Charles joined the annual It’s Our Fox River Day clean-up at Ferson Creek Park, highlighting a growing community effort to protect and care for the Fox River.

☑️ Deals & drama: As Geneva High School’s theatre season opens October 2, the Theatre Boosters are offering gift checkbooks worth $250 to raise funds for the program while giving supporters discounts at local businesses.

☑️ Rustic revival: Not your typical farmers, the owners of Rustic Road Farm in Elburn are using a Kane County resiliency grant to upgrade equipment and create fun new initiatives like wood-fired pizza nights, a future cheese house, and more.

☑️ Biking knowledge needed: Kane County is hoping to be designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Anyone who cycles in the area can take this survey to offer their input.

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Hopefully the rain holds off enough this week to allow for some late-season outdoor live music enjoyment (unlike this past Saturday, when that sudden storm shut down our evening plans).

And this coming weekend sure looks fun — more on that below.

The Fox Valley Jammer Club is bringing its annual open jam and open mic festival back on Saturday (9/27) with a new theme this year: The Lion & the Fox.

Held at the Elburn Lions Club, the event will feature two stages — one indoors and one outdoors — along with a large community drum circle and live visual art. Musicians from across the region have been invited to bring their instruments and take part in the festivities. The Lions Club will offer food and a full bar.

In addition to open mic and jam sessions, the day will include performances from featured artists and groups from around the Fox Valley. Organizer Ryan Carney says the goal is to highlight the growing open mic and jam scene in the area while giving as many people as possible a chance to perform.

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☑️ Coming in early 2026: More info has surfaced about 9 Vixens, the new restaurant being planned by FoxFire owner K.C. Gulbro, which will be an allergy-friendly establishment with a 34-seat bar in the former Little Owl building in Geneva.

☑️ Smiles & salutations: Batavia officials and fellow business owners celebrated the opening of a new dentist’s office in town on September 12, welcoming Dr. Marco Colella to 420 South Batavia Avenue. Learn more about the new practice.

✳️ Show your pride: It’s Geneva Homecoming week! Urban Artisan’s downtown Geneva shop has all the spirit wear you need for the week’s festivities and the big game, including one-of-a-kind Viking gear tailored to your size and style. See some of the attire.

💥 Need marketing help? Get your business, service, or event in front of Tri-Cities Central’s 10K+ local readers. Let’s work together!

☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales for Kane County — including this $1.2M golf course estate in St. Charles’ Burr Hill neighborhood.

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

☑️ City meetings:

☑️ Police reports: View police reports and arrest logs for Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and Campton Hills.

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☑️ A Brief History of the Geneva Girls School | Mon 9/22, 4-5PM | Geneva Library | Learn about the controversial reform school that was active from 1894 to 1976.

🎟️ Windows Distillery Tasting Event | Tues 9/23, 6-9PM | Whiskey Bend, STC | Try award-winning whiskeys, enjoy apps, and get some swag.

☑️ Miner Family Estate Sale | Thurs 9/25 - Sun 9/28 | Batavia | Shop one-of-a-kind antiques, collectibles, furniture, tools, decor, books, and more.

🎟️ Geneva Police BBQ | Thurs 9/25, 11AM-12PM | Geneva | Get delicious Josef’s BBQ delivered by an officer all in support of the Special Olympics.

☑️ Day of Play | Fri 9/26, 10AM | Batavia Depot Museum | A free day where the kids get to enjoy a variety of fun activities at the museum.

☑️ Genealogy After Hours | Sat 9/27, 5-8:30PM | STC Library | Get access to exclusive genealogy materials and experts to do in-depth family research.

🎟️ Ten-Minute Play Festival | Sat 9/27, 7:30PM & Sun 9/28, 2PM | Steel Beam Theatre, STC | Eight plays, one session of brilliant comedy and drama!

🔥 Loved it, keep up the good work [this]

😐 Mediocre, could take it or leave it [this]

🛑 3 minutes I’ll never get back [this]

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