Original Copley Hospital Building Reopens As Neighborhood Cafe

AURORA, IL — The original Copley Hospital building in Aurora reopened as a neighborhood cafe and bakery.

Atrevete Cafe 1888, at 504 Lincoln Ave., is part of the restoration and revival of the entire old Copley Hospital campus that sat vacant for 25 years. The coffeehouse is the second site of Montgomery's popular Atrevete Confections, a purveyor of fine French pastries from Chef Jaqueline Mejia.

Cafe 1888 — whose name is a nod to the year the old hospital was built — will bring lattes, macarons, muffins sandwiches and soups to the campus, now known as Bloomhaven.

Bloomhaven features Weston Bridges, a 53-unit residential complex for adults with disabilities; Bardwell Residences, a 99-unit residential community for senior citizens; and the main administrative building for East Aurora School District 131.

Mayor Richard Irvin, developers, business owners and neighborhood residents will gather at noon Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new business.

Barwell Residences residents who are retired District 131 teachers will be in attendance at the ceremony and will receive special recognition from city officials, according to a news release.