Plano is ready for its close-up
Plano, a sleepy community in Kendall County, Ill., is scheduled to star as Smallville, Clark Kent’s boyhood hometown, in a new Superman movie, “Man of Steel.”
Superman is coming! That’s the buzz in Plano, a rural Kendall County town in the Fox River Valley, 55 miles west of Chicago.
This sleepy community is scheduled to star as Smallville, Clark Kent’s boyhood hometown, in a new Superman movie, “Man of Steel.”
Plano Mayor Bob Hausler confirmed that Warner Bros. has signed an agreement to shoot scenes this summer along historic Main Street. Locals, hoping to land jobs as extras, already have answered casting
Although the city expects to net only $25,000 from the movie production, Hausler said Plano will benefit in other ways. “The movie company has brought business to our stores and hired local construction workers,” he said. “The film will be a marketing tool for the city.”
“We’re all excited about the movie,” said Vera Robertson, owner of the Plano Hotel on Main Street. Built in 1868, the 25-room hotel in Italianate architectural style is on the National Register of Historic Places. “I’ve signed a lease that (says) Warner Bros. can use the hotel as a backdrop,” she added. “They might paint and beautify it with lace curtains and lamps in the windows.”
Sixty years ago, Plano was in the architectural spotlight with the completion of Farnsworth House, a glass-and-steel creation designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Located in the woods beside the Fox River just south of town, the ultramodern see-through residence was built as a weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth.
The personal relationship between Farnsworth and her architect deteriorated when overruns pushed the final tab of the 1,500-square-foot house to $73,000. Now valued at more than $7 million, it is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and open for public tours, drawing architecture buffs from around the world.
But even with the famous house, Plano’s main businesses have been farming and manufacturing. Someday, it might be housing construction. “With existing annexations, we could grow to a population of 25,000 to 30,000. That could happen only after the end of the housing slump, and nobody knows when that will be,” Hausler said.
Still, in the midst of an economic downturn, Plano has avoided cuts in service or staff. The town is considering a tax increment financing district for redevelopment of its downtown and along U.S. Highway 34, its main east-west roadway.
It will also break ground in July on a $3.5 million police station. The mayor noted that Plano has kept a low crime rate by being proactive against gangs and encouraging youth-oriented activities and sports.
However, all is not work for the mayor. “My second job is fishing,” he joked, as he displayed a national fishing trophy he won in 2009.
History
Plano, named for the Spanish word for “plain,” was laid out in 1853 with the arrival of the railroad. It was incorporated as the city of Plano in 1883.
Proud of its agricultural and manufacturing past, it
Today, Plano’s high school athletic teams are
Things to do
Residents have many recreational options beyond watching film crews shoot the Superman movie this summer. Enjoying any of the 10 parks is one. Foli Park’s 29 acres include a creek that is a favorite for fishing, while 9-acre Plano City Park has a lighted ballfield and is popular with residents of all ages. Another favorite is nearby 1,350-acre Silver Springs State Park, which offers picnicking, hiking, boating and fishing on the Fox River. Maramech Forest Preserve, believed to be the site of a major American Indian battle, has a 90-acre nature preserve with walking trails.
Other attractions:
A farmers market opens for business July 16 at the Methodist Church parking lot and continues every Saturday the rest of the summer.
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