Havliceks Ready to Open Geneva Ace Hardware in December

After what seems like as much anticipation as angst, there'll finally be an , again. Geneva residents George and Lynn Havlicek announced they will be opening a new Ace at the former location at 617 W. State St. by mid-December.

The excitement generated at the idea of a new hardware store might seem as silly as Steve Martin's famous lines from the movie, The Jerk, when his character shouted, "The new phonebook's here! The new phonebook's here!" 

But ever since the former Ace became Geneva Hardware, then , , all within a period of less than a year, the community has been left without a place in town to pick up a few items for a weekend project and chat with neighbors.

"People even stop (at the store) when they see cars out front and ask when it's coming back," Lynn said. 

The Havliceks have been Genevans for more than 25 years. George owns Havlicek Builders and has built and remodeled many of the homes in the area. Lynn manages Cabinets at Danada, with locations in Geneva and Wheaton.

George said he's always wanted to own a hardware store. Right now he's supervising remodeling of the old store, which includes resurfacing the old vinyl tile flooring and taking out the ceiling tiles and replacing them with LED lighting as he strives to go as "green" as possible.

Lynn will be involved with the design of the store, including layout and decor.

One of the new things the Havliceks hope to bring to the new store is a gathering area with a TV "so if somebody's shopping on the weekend they won't be missing part of the football game," George explained. He also said he plans a separate contractors area, so that larger pre-orders can be picked up quickly. 

He also said there's a good possibility that some of the former employees, many of whom had worked at the other store for a long time, may join the staff here. Lynn said customers even have inquired about whether they'd see some of the familiar faces back at the store. 

"We're going to do our best to make this a great store," George said.

Lynn said at a recent meeting she was applauded, and the exhilaration has spread to City Hall. 

"It's difficult to express the excitement we feel as a city," Mayor Kevin Burns said, "And that excitement is intensified, because our good friend and great neighbor George Havlicek is synonymous with excellence.

"It's going to be a great Christmas present for all the citizens."

Download the movie