When a former hotel floor still carries the plumbing layout of its past life, a true redesign takes more than swapping out fixtures. That was the challenge facing Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow at Judson University, where the fourth floor of Lindner Tower had to be transformed from a compact hotel configuration into a living space suited for students with intellectual disabilities. The result: a complete overhaul that now supports the university’s RISE Program.
One of 13 accessible bathrooms Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow plumbed in place of the hotel’s original 25 on the fourth floor of Lindner Tower at Judson University.
A new bottle-filling drinking fountain in a shared space on the RISE Program floor at Judson University, part of the plumbing Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow added for students.
Elgin commercial plumber turned a 25-bathroom former hotel floor into 13 accessible bathrooms, room kitchens and shared spaces for RISE students
This project was a complete transformation of the fourth floor, not just a typical plumbing renovation.”— Matt Moraca, Owner, Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow
ELGIN, Ill., Oct. 19, 2026: Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow, a commercial plumbing contractor based in Elgin, has completed a full plumbing redesign of the fourth floor of Lindner Tower at Judson University, 1151 N. State St. The floor now serves Judson’s RISE Program, a two-year residential college program for students with intellectual disabilities. Work started in summer 2025 and passed final plumbing inspection in July 2026.
RISE stands for Road to Independent Living, Spiritual Formation and Employment. Students enroll between the ages of 18 and 25, live on campus alongside traditional students, and hold internships on and off campus while they work toward a Certificate of Completion in Liberal Arts with a chosen concentration. Judson began developing the program in 2016 and welcomed its first students in fall 2017. RISE is a federally recognized Comprehensive Transition Program, and Judson was the first Christian university in Illinois to offer one.
Lindner Tower is a seven-story former hotel the university converted for campus use. Its fourth floor still had the hotel’s plumbing layout, with about 25 bathrooms. The contractor demolished the old plumbing, redesigned the system and repiped the floor, turning the outdated hotel layout into condominium-style living for students.
The scope of work included:
- 13 new bathrooms in place of the original 25, with accessible showers replacing the old bathtubs
- A kitchen in every residential room, where none existed before
- A community kitchen with two sinks
- Plumbing for a beauty salon, a laundry room and a drinking fountain
- Extensive changes to the floor’s domestic water supply and sanitary drainage
“This project was a complete transformation of the fourth floor, not just a typical plumbing renovation,” said Matt Moraca, owner of Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow. “We took what was originally a hotel with 25 bathrooms and completely redesigned the plumbing to accommodate 13 new bathrooms, individual kitchens in every residential room, and new shared amenities. It required extensive planning and repiping to make everything work within the existing building. As Judson University’s exclusive plumbing contractor, we’re proud of what our team accomplished and especially proud that these improvements will help provide a more comfortable and independent living environment for the students in the RISE Program.”
Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow provides commercial plumbing in Elgin and across Kane County, including renovations, fixture and line installations, water heaters, backflow testing and ongoing maintenance for schools, businesses and property managers.
Facility managers and building owners can reach Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow at (847) 624-3872 or foxvalleyplumbing.com.
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About Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow
Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow is a licensed and insured plumbing contractor based in Elgin, Illinois, in business since 2010. The company handles commercial and residential plumbing and backflow testing and certification across Elgin, South Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Bartlett, Streamwood, Carol Stream, Hanover Park, Schaumburg, Naperville and surrounding Fox Valley communities. It holds Illinois plumbing licenses 058-161084 and 055-042593 and carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Matthew Moraca
Fox Valley Plumbing & Backflow
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Why it matters: This renovation goes beyond infrastructure — it directly enables a more independent daily life for RISE students, who now have accessible bathrooms, private kitchens, and shared amenities designed around their needs. It also shows how older buildings can be thoughtfully repurposed to serve inclusive educational missions, setting a precedent for other institutions considering similar conversions.
