The Daily Herald is reporting a better reception for the latest restoration plan from the DuPage Theatre Foundation. The new plan envisions a lot more residential use (86 luxury condos and apartments) plus parking - including parking dedicated for Metra users (the station is just across the street). This on the face of it makes more economic sense than the old plan that favored more space for artistic endeavors, which had trouble attracting necessary financing (despite admirable goals). The new plan’s improved, if not yet sufficient, financing includes more from the developer ($1.9 million in land and a theater contribution plus $100,000 a year from leasing retail spaces). Should something like this plan take place, downtown Lombard may experience a real renaissance from this new vitality on Main Street.
Perhaps the most heartening news, for those of us that would love to see the theater, an past eyesore of neglect, restored to beauty, is that a major critic of the plan, Lombard Trustee Steve Sebby, is now reconsidering the project - if still concerned about it’s financing. While the financing may not be completely there, it is getting there. The DuPage Theatre Foundation deserves credit for the improvement - and for sticking to it. Hopefully their vision will become reality in downtown Lombard.
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