10-Story $215 Million Will County Courthouse Now Underway

JOLIET, IL - Will County politicians from communities including Elwood, Frankfort, Joliet and New Lenox spoke from the raised platform set up along Washington Street to mark Tuesday's historic event. Roughly 200 people, mostly public officials and Will County Courthouse staff, gathered in downtown Joliet for an hour-long groundbreaking ceremony for the new Will County Courthouse. The new structure will encompass 365,000 square feet and feature 38 courtrooms and it's expected to open sometime in 2020.

The current courthouse, just across the street, opened in 1969. It has only four floors and only 23 courtrooms. The future 10-story-tall glass building will tower over downtown Joliet's skyline and it's anticipated to become a remarkable piece of architecture like the city hasn't seen before.

The new Will County Courthouse will be built on the old First Midwest Bank property at the corner of Ottawa and Jefferson Streets. Demolition of the building should finish in the early part of 2018. Wight & Co. is the architectural firm hired by Will County to oversee the enormous county government capital project.

Will County Executive Larry Walsh was one of the first politicians to address the upbeat and cheerful crowd gathered down the street from Joliet's City Hall. Walsh said Tuesday marked "a new chapter in the County of Will."

Moreover, the "decision to build wasn't a question of if, but how," he declared.

"The decision to build right here in the heart of downtown Joliet was an easy one for me," Walsh said proudly. He said the new Will County Courthouse was sorely needed to provide "more effective and more efficient services for our residents."

Walsh also told the audience that he is pleased with the ongoing "rebirth" of downtown Joliet under the direction of first-term Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk.

Walsh predicted Will County will become the second largest county in all of Illinois over the next few decades. Therefore, it's vital to design and build a courthouse that can serve a large population.

"Will County is successful because we know how to work together," Walsh declared.

Walsh and other speakers emphasized how the mammoth government building will be built using a large number of skilled local tradesmen from around Will County.

"We look forward to delivering a project that is below budget and a head of schedule," Walsh proclaimed.

At this point, it's hard to imagine the costs for the project can get any higher.

Last week, a representative of Walsh's office sent out a press advisory for the groundbreaking ceremony calling it a new $100 million courthouse. The following day, Walsh's staff sent out an updated news release announcing the new Will County Courthouse would actually cost $195 million.

On Monday, Mack Communications, the marketing and communications firm for the Will County Board, sent out its own news release, advising, "The new courthouse is expected to be completed in late 2020 at a total cost of $215 million."

After Walsh spoke, Will County Board Speaker Jim Moustis of Frankfort told everyone how he was so excited to see all heavy construction equipment across the street tearing up the parking lot at the former Midwest Bank property.

Moustis also complimented himself and the rest of the Will County Board for bringing the new courthouse project to fruition. He talked about how the major construction project would create "600 jobs on the courthouse alone."

"How exciting," Moustis announced. "We persevered."

From the perspective of the taxpayer, the project will be built "without it raising taxes," Moustis promised.

Besides Walsh and Moustis, here were the other speakers at Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony:

• Emcee, James Roolf
• Invocation Will County Board Member and Pastor, Herb Brooks
• Capital Committee Chairman Raymond Tuminello
• Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk
• Will County Chief Judge Richard Schoenstedt
• Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride

"This groundbreaking ceremony is just that, a ceremony," Schoenstedt reminded the crowd. It "will ultimately result in a functional building that benefits residents for years to come."

By the time the Illinois Supreme Court Justice spoke, most people had been standing outside for at least an hour. The temperature was still in the 40s.

"I'm glad I'm not the keynote speaker," Kilbride remarked, drawing laughs. "I'm ready for a benediction."

With that, the confetti popped.

About a dozen dignitaries assembled in front of the contractor's trailer for a ceremonial ground-breaking photo opportunity. Then, once the initial dirt-throwing event was over, several other Will County politicians scrambled to capitalize on the occasion.

They, too, wanted to be in the photos, perhaps to use on their political websites, Facebook pages and campaign brochures. After all, 2018 is a big election year in Will County government.

Images via John Ferak, Joliet Patch Editor