Pizzeria Replacing Lockport Street's Volar

PLAINFIELD, IL — Most recently home to two Mexican restaurants — first Fiesta Mexicana, then the current Volar — a Lockport Street building will soon be transformed into a pizza restaurant. Village trustees on Monday approved the site plan review for facade improvements and patio modifications as well as a certificate of appropriateness for changes to 24136 W. Lockport St.

Most recently known as Volar, the eatery will become Giombotta Pizza, an "Italian-themed" restaurant featuring wood-fired pizza, according to documents submitted to the village.

The property is in the Downtown Historic District and TIF district. According to village documents, applicant Robert Rovito, who also owns nearby Capri Sogno as well as Volar, plans to modify the front of the building, removing awnings and replacing window panes, painting the siding and shutters, installing new signage and lighting, widening the front door and reconfiguring the patio area.

The village Plan Commission voted 5-0 to approve the site plan review, while the Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-3 to recommend approval of a certification of appropriateness.

According to the description of the project, "the intent is to retain significant features of the historically important structure while enhancing the outdoor dining experience with a more permanent terrace and complimenting the streetscape stonework."

Trustee Bill Lamb said he approved of efforts to retain the original features of the building, calling it a "very classic part of downtown." (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The proposal calls for repainting the facade "a traditional white in lieu of the existing mustard color," creating an enlarged window to bring in more natural light and offer a clear view of the wood-fired pizza oven inside, and adding a lattice low-height enclosure around with stone-clad posts around the patio for "a more traditional palette of materials."

Prior to Volar, the building housed Fiesta Mexicana, which closed up shop in late 2013.

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