Looking Back at the Civic Center as the Village Moves Forward

June 10, 2022

The Downers Grove Village Council recently approved plans for a new civic center complex. This seems to be a natural time to look back at how the current buildings on this parcel have served Downers Grove.

The largest building on the plot of land is the Village Hall. Built in the 1910’s, this building originally served as the home for Potter Manufacturing and Lumber Company. They specialized in the manufacturing of Potter “Redybilt” Poultry Houses for home use. By the 1940’s Shafer Bearing, originally headquartered in Chicago, located here. Shafer Bearing was eventually sold and their products are now owned by Rexnord who maintains offices in Downers Grove at 2400 Curtiss Street. In 1969, the building was repurposed as Downers Grove Village Hall.

The second building on the site is the Downers Grove Police Station. Unlike the Village Hall, this 30,000 square foot building was built as a police station. Opened in 1979, local architects, Wight and Company of Downers Grove, designed the building. The Chicago Tribune reported the state-of-the-art facility was at least 8 years ahead of its time and was designed to be “a friendlier appearing environment, rather than the stern, forbidding appearance of the traditional fortress-like jail.” The first police station was located on Main Street just north of the Main Street Cemetery. This new building replaced the current police station to the west that was housed that was in the former home of Eichmann Motor Sales, near where Cadence Kitchen is now located.

The final property on the village campus is a vacant two-story frame house at 842 Curtiss Street. Before 1973, the building served as a private residence. In 1973, the Downers Grove Park District purchased the home and for the next five years it housed the Downers Grove Museum and the Downers Grove Historical Society. Most recently the building served residents with village-sponsored social services.

The Village has produced a short video, describing the plans for the new Civic Center.