Aurora officials gathered recently to get their first look at a new restaurant in downtown Aurora.
They held a ribbon-cutting for Giardino Trattoria and Pizzeria, a new Italian restaurant at 12 N. River St. in the historic Hobbs Building.
It is the second restaurant to open in the Hobbs Building, just two doors down from Leilani Asian Fusion. It also is the second Italian restaurant to open in downtown in the past year. A third Italian restaurant is slated to open downtown within the next year too, officials said.
The Hobbs Building, at Galena Boulevard and River Street, was built in 1892 for the Hobbs Manufacturing Co., which made furniture and coffins in the building. But it is remembered more these days as the Crosby Building because Crosby’s Sporting Goods occupied the first floor from 1952 until sometime into the 1980s.
But many of the upper floors had not been occupied for 60 or 70 years before developers Jay Punukollu and Harish Ananthapadmanabhan, owners of JH Real Estate Partners LLC, based in Aurora, redeveloped the Hobbs into 33 apartment units on the upper floors. The redevelopment not only saved the building from demolition, it was done in the shadow of fears of the building falling down.
“It’s not easy to turn one of these buildings around,” said Mayor Richard Irvin during last week’s ribbon-cutting. “It’s 150 years old, and some of these floors were vacant for 60 years. Now they are market-rate, Chicago-style apartments.”
The overall redevelopment project cost about $13 million. JHS used state and historic tax credits worth about $1.9 million from the federal government and about $2.7 million from the state government. The rest of the cost was covered by equity applied by the company, a traditional loan and some money from the city.
But last week the focus was on another part of the development company, JH Hospitality Group. In addition to Giardino and Leilani Asian Fusion, the group will open a third restaurant sandwiched between the two in the Hobbs first floor, which will feature a French Creole menu.
“We wanted to have restaurants with elevated environments, great food and affordable,” said Punukollu.
Giardino will be led by Head Chefs Ruben de la Cruz and Martin Balderas.
“We’re thrilled to bring Italian flavors to Aurora,” said Balderas. “Our team has worked hard to create a space where people can gather over great food and enjoy Italian cuisine.”
Giardino’s offerings include items from antipasto and fresh salads to hand-stretched wood-fired pizzas and lunch combos, including panini sandwiches. For more information and the full menu, go to giardinoaurora.com
slord@tribpub.com
