Aurora Friday celebrated a ribbon-cutting for a building reopening that almost wasn’t. Officials admitted Friday, as they officially opened the redeveloped Hobbs Building, a 130-year-old structure at River Street and Galena Boulevard, that the margin between having the building redeveloped or torn down was about the size of a two-by-four piece of wood.

For years, the Hobbs Building in downtown Aurora has been referred to as historic. And while the 128-year-old building at River Street and Galena Boulevard has plenty to recommend its distinctive status, it now wears another badge of historical honor.

The company has three more buildings under contract. Ananthapadmanabhan said their vision for the buildings is to develop multiple high-end apartments, to bring boutique retail stores and restaurants downtown, and to make downtown a technology hub.