Vacant Historic Plainfield Church Building To House Hair Salon

PLAINFIELD, IL — A historic Plainfield church that became home to a popular restaurant but that has sat empty for more than a decade will soon house a new tenant, village planning officials confirmed to Patch on Monday.

The Loft Hair Salon, which has been in business on Lockport Street for years, has made plans to expand and will move into the former Baci Ristorante property at 24018 Lockport St., Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx said. The property, which was built in 1868 as a Unitarian Church, was sold to a private investor group in 2015 for $185,000.

After several efforts to find a tenant since the Baci Italian eatery closed in 2010 were unsuccessful, village officials are glad to see someone taking over the space.

The village spent $75,000 to make repairs to the church’s roof and basement to preserve the building and then sold it to the investment group after purchasing the property for $125,000 in 2012. The building, which was also the home to St. Mary’s Catholic Church at one point, had been in foreclosure before the village purchased the building after Baci closed. Once the power had been shut off, water damage was found in the basement, which the village repaired to help stabilize the property, hoping that one day the structure could be used by a local business.

A message left for the owner of The Loft was not immediately returned on Monday seeking comment on the salon’s expansion plans.

Proulx said the village purchased the property but did so not with the intent of becoming a landlord. But now, six years after private investors took ownership, the village considers the fact new tenants are moving in a success story for historic properties like the former restaurant site.

Proulx considers the property a historical success story along, with other Plainfield landmarks such as The Sanctuary Building, a former trolley barn that is now home to the Sovereign restaurant, and the old Clock Tower Building, which houses the Opera House restaurant and a salon. The two properties restaurant million-dollar restoration projects that took place rather than leveling the buildings and turning them into parking lots, Proulx said.

In 2013, village officials appeared to have a deal in place to sell the Baci restaurant property to a new owner who unveiled plans for an upscale, Creole-inspired steak and seafood restaurant. But the $175,000 deal fell through, which extended the village's ownership of the building before it was sold in 2015. Proulx credits both the village and the investment group — which included restaurant owner Michael Vaughn — for being patient until the sale took place involving The Loft.

“Conventional wisdom would have said, just tear the building down - it’s so run down,” Proulx said of properties like the three historic Plainfield buildings. “Well, those buildings are really what give downtown Plainfield character and a sense of place. To see even one building demolished is a detriment to our historic character.

“Much of Plainfield knows the (church property) as the Baci restaurant and to see it enter into this new chapter is really exciting," he added.