BATAVIA – Starting next month, the former Hubbard's Ethan Allen Gallery on Batavia Avenue in downtown Batavia will receive a second life as a furniture store.
Acosta's Consignment in St. Charles, which specializes in upscale, nearly new furniture and home accessories, will move its main store at 1920 W. Main St. in St. Charles to the former Hubbard's building at 16 N. Batavia Ave. (Route 31).
"We've been looking for the last six months to find the right location that we wouldn't outgrow," said Christine Acosta, who owns Acosta's Consignment with her husband. "It's a very prominent building. Everyone in the area knows the building. It was a logical move for us to move into a furniture store."
Hubbard's Ethan Allen Gallery closed in 2011 after owner Bob Hubbard decided to retire. The furniture store had been a fixture in the downtown since 1910, when his grandfather, G.E. Hubbard, bought an existing furniture business at 16 N. Batavia Ave.
The store in 1969 decided to exclusively carry Ethan Allen furnishings. Acosta said the new building will provide the business with much needed space.
"The building is almost 14,000 square feet, which will make us the largest upscale furniture consignment store in Illinois as far as we can tell," Acosta said.
Plans are for new store to open Aug. 23. There also will be a grand opening that day, she said.
While Acosta's Consignment will be moving its main store, Acosta's second store at 116 E. Main St. in downtown St. Charles will remain open.
"We also live in St. Charles, and we would like to keep a presence in St. Charles as well," Acosta said.
Batavia Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Holly Deitchman said she thinks the building is the perfect location for Acosta's Consignment and that the business will help boost that economic corridor.
"I think they will be very successful," Deitchman said.
Joi Cuartero, executive director of Batavia MainStreet, noted that Acosta's is just the latest retail business to be opening in downtown Batavia.
"Retail is starting to ramp up in Batavia," she said. "It just shows more growth in our downtown."