Just when Jan Loeb says she’s finished, she hints that she might not be.
The creator of an exquisite empire in downtown Lawrenceville, Illinois, that takes up an entire city block, Loeb has pretty much run out of space in the vast building at 13th and State streets.
It started with New Leaf Fitness and Spa, a state-of-the-art facility that includes locker facilities, showers, a therapy pool, saunas and steam rooms, and takes up two stories in the front of the building.
Later came Coco’s Espresso Bar, a popular six-day-a-week restaurant that serves up muffins and other breakfast pastries in the morning and sensible portions of comfort food the rest of the day.
The Mandarin at New Leaf, a full-service spa, draws visitors from far and wide while the Salon at New Leaf has three chairs for those women who need to get their hair cut or styled.
The final piece, and perhaps the crown jewel, is The Barn at New Leaf, which is basically an entertainment center. Local bands play there at least two nights a week. Recently, the Lawrence County Arts Council held a production there, and it’s a perfect place to hold wedding receptions, parties, large private dinners, etc.
In all, it’s brought 60 full-and part-time jobs to a community with a population of about 4,300.
‘Spontaneous’
Believe it or not, the whole complex is ultimately the result of Loeb stepping into a building that decades ago was a new car dealership before becoming, among other things, a hardware store, a video store and a clothing-furniture store.
Loeb says the whole venture started as something that was “spontaneous.”
Her first inclination was that the front of the building would be a terrific spot for a restaurant, but she quickly had a change of heart.
“It was too big and spacious (for a restaurant,)” she said. “I didn’t think it would have the energy that a smaller bistro needs. By the time I got upstairs I was taken with the solidness of the building. I said, ‘I’m not leaving this building behind.’ I was thinking it would be a great place for fitness.”
Less than two months later, New Leaf Fitness and Spa opened to a willing public.
“My thought was ‘Can we get this done?’ It was November,” said Loeb. “It had to be ready for New Year’s resolutions. That’s the big kickoff for fitness.”
Loeb’s contractor and his crew got right to work. She sought out personal trainers to help obtain equipment that was state of the art. She was able to land qualified instructors for the many classes that are offered.
“Everything was ready in 59 days,” she said. “We opened. The community came out and it was just amazing.”
Coco’s, which has been open since last summer, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.
“It was actually an afterthought,” Loeb said. “The more times I stepped through here while construction was going on I thought, ‘This needs a heartbeat.’ Instead of waiting on a coffee shop around the corner, which I had designs to do, I did it here. It just became Coco’s.’”
Contemporary dining
Loeb calls the Coco’s menu “a mixture.”
“The sign says small plates, salads and appetizers,” she said. “You’re going to get some items that aren’t already in town. You’ll get some hearty daily specials. It’s some fresh, and some not so healthy. It’s more of a contemporary menu.”
Original plans called for The Barn to be a crossfit gymnasium. Once construction commenced, however, Loeb realized that the building would be too small.
So she opened a crossfit gym just blocks away, at 1513 13th St., and The Barn became what it is.
“When The Barn was going up, it was looking great,” Loeb said. “So I decided to take it and do something better with it.”
Loeb says “the sky’s the limit” on what can take place at The Barn.
“I knew it would be a neat gathering place,” she said. “It’s an event rental, but it’s so much more. We just had a play there. There’s nothing you can’t do.”
Salon and spa
Between Coco’s and The Barn is the New Leaf Salon. Three chairs are available, and walk-ins are welcome.
“I wanted it to be light and crisp,” said Loeb. “I wanted it to be art gallery-looking, sharp, crisp, kind of cutting edge.”
Also in the interior of the building is the expansive Mandarin at New Leaf, an upscale massage and wellness center.
Nearly 20 different massages are listed on the spa’s menu. There are four rooms available, including one for couples massages.
Loeb says the center also offers facials, exfoliations and relaxation therapy.
“We have people who regularly come from a long way to visit,” Loeb said. “There are a lot of options for those who come to The Mandarin.”
The thing is, all this is happening at a point in Loeb’s life when others may have started to back off. But after her husband, the gregarious, philanthropic and community-minded Edward Loeb died in April of 2010, she went the other direction.
When asked how many hours a week she spends at New Leaf, Loeb replied, simply, “A lot.”
“I noticed that when Ed died, I started adding more to my plate,” she said. “I was taking on more and more community projects. We started an art and wine festival, and the Party on the Roof. I’d never directed a musical, and I directed ‘Alladin.’ I guess I wanted to stay busy.”
If she hadn’t bought the building, she says she’d likely spend more time with her children, Betsy, Ben, Max and Harry — all of whom are already successful in their own right or at least on their way.
“I guess I’d travel more,” she said. “I’d probably be visiting Betsy more, and probably be getting under her skin. But I don’t want them to feel like they have to entertain me. I want them to think ‘I hope mom’s available.’”
Expanding New Leaf any further probably isn’t feasible. So, yes, she’s probably finished there.
But that doesn’t mean she’s finished. Not at all.
“You know what would be neat?” she asks. “A boutique hotel — maybe a microtel here — just to complete the package for a destination place. If there’s anything lacking at this point, that’s it. We could be considered more or less a small-town resort.”
She already has some property in mind.
So stay tuned. More than likely Jan Loeb isn’t finished.
By Bill Richardson