Dignitaries cut the ribbon on Aurora’s newest downtown building rehabilitation for Kluber Architects + Engineers on October 28 and celebrated Oktoberfest style. Grand opening VIP’s included: Aurora Mayor, Richard Irvin; Ron Woerman, Alderman at Large; Alderwoman Patty Smith; Alderman Bill Donnell; Ron Ford of the Kane County Board; Guillermo Trujillo, Deputy Mayor for the City of Aurora; President of Kluber, Inc., Mike Kluber; Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Jessica Linder Gallo and Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Karina Garcia.
Mayor Irvin praised Kluber for transforming 41 W. Benton into a new gem on the Fox. “If anybody has been in Aurora since this administration started over the last 4 years, you’ll see that we’re trying to improve our downtown and turn it into something magical so that when you come to downtown Aurora, you can feel like you’ve been somewhere,” said Mayor Irvin. “What Kluber Architects + Engineers has done to this space represents the magic that we’re trying to work toward in the City of Aurora.”
Jessica Linder Gallo, President and CEO of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce shared more insights on downtown Aurora’s newest business addition, “We want to say a huge thank you to Kluber Architects + Engineers for the investment you’ve made in Aurora, and for being part of the growth of our downtown and of this city.”
The 41 W. Benton Kluber Architects + Engineers new offices highlights include:
- Showcasing Chicago caliber contemporary office space in downtown Aurora.
- Modifying the building’s lower-level car parking into a dynamic new office level by cutting a hole in the floor and installing a game-changing staircase.
- Designing to leverage natural light and creating some of the best riverside views of downtown Aurora.
- Studying the post-COVID world and designing new solutions on the placement of workstations to create a place where people felt like they have enough personal space, yet are connected to their teammates.
- Using materials creatively, like off-the-shelf cabinets, residential doors and trim, and shiplap siding.
- Reworking unsightly visual challenges with the use of black painted ceiling and extending the effect down the wall to create a new virtual ceiling plan in the lower-level office space.
The Kluber Architects + Engineers team are no stranger to downtown revitalization, having rehabbed three previous Batavia office properties. The most recent project was turning around the distressed downtown Batavia, IL property at 10 S. Shumway into an award-winning building that breathed new life into the Foundry District of downtown Batavia. Mike Kluber formerly served on the Batavia MainStreet board of director and was its president, a volunteer experience that provided key insights into property owners’ leadership roles in struggling and emerging downtowns. Kluber explains, “When your downtown districts are in need, community leaders need to step up. Small and medium-sized businesses should be motivated to revitalize and support the communities they serve.”
A link to the 33-year history of Kluber Architects + Engineers is available here.
Additional photos from the ribbon cutting and celebration can be found below.
