Geneva, Illinois February 20, 2012
To our valued customers and friends,
A few hours ago Annette and I were told of a proposal to tear down the historic Pure Gardener building, and replace it with a bank drive through and parking lot. The Geneva Historic Preservation Committee is holding a hearing February 21, at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the proposal. The public is invited to come and hear more about the plan. Here is a link to info about the proposal being presented. CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION .Below is a press release that we just composed and submitted.
Despite this major distraction, we are excited to announce that............
SEEDS ARE IN, PANSIES AND MORE VERY SOON! We will be open this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!!!
We hope you are as anxious as we are to get started with cold tough plants. Hope to see you soon!
Annette and Craig
[This afternoon, we, Annette and Craig MacLean, owners of The Pure Gardener, 502 W. State St., Geneva, were told of plans to replace the building and our current garden center business, with a new bank drive through and parking lot. The project is proposed by St. Charles Bank and Trust, part of Wintrust Financial Corporation, based in Lake Forest, Il, with assets over 15 billion dollars, according to their web site.
The historic building became home to The Pure Gardener, in November 2006, when former owner and auto repair operator Joe Kuchera, sold the building to Joe Stanton. The closing, and later demolition of Geneva Greenhouse on Western Ave, left us without a place to work, but we were able to lease the property from Stanton to open as a garden center, which we continue to operate.
The focus of The Pure Gardener, has been to provide the community with a source of gardening information, and products which are safer, healthier, and more responsible to use. Our slogan, "We give excellent service, naturally", is an extension of our awareness of the superior results obtained through organic products and practices. We do not sell chemical poisons. We freely share our knowledge within our community so that everyone has the chance to be happier, healthier, and more environmentally responsible.
This historic building on the Lincoln Highway Map, and pictured in books and articles, attracts tourists from all over the country every year. It would be a great loss for the community to replace this gem with a new bank drive through and parking lot. A similar former Pure Oil building in Saratoga Springs, New York was faced with demolition in 1976, but was moved and saved for continued use as a viable business.
Annette and I would like to continue to provide our knowledge and service. We are blessed that we can work, live, and raise our family in Geneva. We are grateful for the support of all of our customers and friends, who keep us going.]
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