Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park sold, will close May 31

The Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park has been sold and will close for good at the end of May.

The Elmhurst-based Greco family, which has owned and operated the Odeum since 1981, confirmed that their 12.9-acre property at 1033 N. Villa Ave. was officially purchased at the end of December by APK Holding LLC.

Arrow Trans Corp, an Elk Grove Village-based trucking and warehouse business, plans to relocate to Villa Park and lease the site. The 130,000-square-foot Odeum building could be converted or torn down to make room for a new building.

The sale of the Odeum was largely a foregone conclusion. The Odeum site had been on the market for some time, and the Grecos won rezoning approval last month from Villa Park trustees to help with sale negotiations.

In recent weeks, the Grecos have personally reached out to area town leaders, visitor and convention bureau representatives, and some key clients to alert them of the sale.

“We’re going to enjoy the last round,” said Odeum co-owner Francine “Sis” Greco, who declined to share the site’s sale price. “We are pretty booked all the way through May 31.”

Greco highlighted indoor soccer and lacrosse tournaments going through March. In May, the Odeum is set to host a championship tournament staged by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, plus the Amigos Chicago Guitar Show.

“It looks like it’s going to be a fun, exciting spring,” Greco said.

The Odeum was initially built as Hat Trick Ice Arena to be the official home of the Greco-owned hockey team called the Chicago Warriors. But due to increased costs and the poor economy at the time, the building was converted for other events and non-ice indoor sports and re-christened as the Odeum Expo Center in 1981.

For the past four decades, the Odeum has hosted concert acts like Kiss and Kenny Rogers, haunted houses with Rob Zombie, rodeos, festivals and more. The Odeum also became a drive-through COVID-19 testing site for the DuPage County Health Department.

“The Grecos have been a great family to deal with. They’ve always been helpful to the village, and they’ve always been around when we needed something,” Villa Park Village President Nick Cuzzone said. “(The Odeum has) been a real boon for Villa Park. We’re sad to see it go.”

Greco said there are no current plans for a closing party. Instead, they are looking for buyers of Odeon equipment and furnishings.

“We are going to be liquidating everything we own,” Greco said. “Hopefully, we’ll find some good homes for it.