Downtown Oregon building goes from bank to business hub

OREGON – It looks like The Commerce Building is already living up to its name.

Three health-related businesses are moving in to the former bank building downtown, on the corner of Fourth and Washington streets.

Crisham Family Dental recently joined Meghan Kurzac, who operates Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique, and Amanda Bordner, a therapist and clinical supervisor on the first floor The Commerce Building.

Kurzac and Bordner moved in recently, and Dr. John Crisham is relocating there from the KSB building at 1307 W. Washington St. in Dixon. He said he hopes to open within the next few weeks.

Crisham previously worked at the now-late Dr. Joseph Kerwin's practice.

The Alfano family purchased the building in May and renamed it The Commerce Building. It was previously home to the United Bank of Ogle County, the Rock River Bank, and most recently, The Harvard State Bank.

The Chamber of Commerce used to be located on the second floor, along with Glen Orr’s dental practice, before he retired.

Tony Alfano said the plan for the building is simple: make it look great, bring in business, and be a boon to the community.

“It’s a really beautiful, really important building right there in the downtown area, and it has a lot of potential,” Alfano said. “It just needs someone to take it and make it realize that potential. We felt we needed to be the ones to do that.”

The family is improving the facade, and renovating both floors of the two-story building.

Plans for the second floor are being finalized, Alfano said, but the family is leaning toward residential use, possibly apartments for long-term rent, or short-term lodging for out-of-towners.

Alfano said he hopes work on the outside will be finished by the end of September, and the top floor by the beginning of 2019.