Historic Lombard Hotel to get another chance at life

LOMBARD – An important piece of Lombard history is getting a makeover and could soon be open for the public's enjoyment.

The old Lombard Hotel at 101 W. St. Charles Road in downtown was bought by Tom and Margret Smith in December. The couple has been hard at work repairing and refurbishing the historic building and hopes to have it open for business later this year.

“Our goal is to have a restaurant on the first floor and have it be a destination location, where families can come,” Margret Smith said. “There’s still a tenant living on the second floor, but we hope to have some offices up there too, and the third floor is the Lilac Ballroom, which can be rented out for smaller special events.”

She doesn’t know when the restaurant will open but hopes to have the ballroom ready to be rented out sometime this summer, she said.

Residents had a chance to take a look inside the historic building May 9 when the Lombard Town Centre hosted tours of the hotel as part of Lilac Time.

Smith said her husband, Tom, wanted to buy the property, which is the oldest commercial building in Lombard. Tom grew up in Lombard, and she said the village is still “very close to his heart.”

It’s very important to both of them to preserve the building’s integrity and history, but also have it be functional, she said.

“Residents were upset when the Lombard Theatre was torn down, and people are just so happy that we didn’t tear this down,” Smith said. “It’s important for people, especially those who’ve lived here a long time, who want to see this building stay, they want it taken care of and utilized.”

The Smiths have already made several repairs to the building, but there is still more to do, Margret Smith said. They put in a new roof and fixed holes due to water damage in the walls and ceiling.

“All the window framing will be painted black, and we painted the ballroom a very light lilac, and it’s just beautiful,” she said. “We’re working on refurbishing the floors. It’s a lot of work, but it’s something my husband loves to do.”

Lombard Town Centre Executive Director Sarah Richardt said the building dates back to 1858, and it was originally known as Babcock’s Grove House. It had a tavern on the first floor and billiards in the basement. The second floor was hotel rooms, and on the third floor was a ballroom.

George O’Connor purchased the building in 1915, renovated it and then turned it into commercial space. There was a dental office on the second floor and a real estate office on the first floor, while the third floor ballroom became a dance studio, Richardt said.

That was the last commercial use of the third floor, while the second level remained offices until the 1970s. The first floor and basement included retail businesses until very recently.

“The history of that building is really neat; there have been a lot of interesting things on that property, including a Sears and Roebuck catalog office,” Richardt said.

Richardt thinks the history of the building is very important for shaping the economic future of downtown Lombard.

“Knowing what’s historically been there helps to know what we can and cannot do,” she said. “For example, there’s been a bar or restaurant on the property until last August so that makes planning and zoning easier.”

During the Lilac Time public tours, residents were able to go up to the second and third floors, and Richardt said people were very happy to see the building.

“We had 327 people come through, and they really liked seeing the passion and excitement the new owners have for the building, and they’re excited to see what’s coming,” she said.

Smith was very pleased with the turnout, describing the public’s response as “amazing."

“We didn’t know what to expect, but we were busy the entire afternoon. People have seen the building but never been in it, and they were just very excited,” she said.