Costco Project Near Louis Mall Moving Ahead: Sources

JOLIET, IL — The City of Joliet's planning commission has scheduled a special meeting May 30 to discuss a major economic development project near the Louis Joliet Mall along Route 30 near the Interstate 55 interchange. The development would be anchored by a Costco Wholesale at the site of the former truck stop that was torn down several years ago, sources have told Joliet Patch.

The project is complicated because the development falls within the municipal boundaries of both Joliet and Plainfield. Most of the land falls within Plainfield's boundaries.

The Route 30 project is unusual because it involves two separate municipalities that have to come together to iron out service issues such as public utilities, public safety and roadway maintenance.

"Plainfield did a good job of hearing what we had to say with regard to the amount of commerce on the Joliet side of the line," city of Joliet economic development director Steve Jones told Patch.

Not speaking about Costco, Jones said, "the Joliet commercial is well-suited because it will be along the frontage of Plainfield Road and highly visible from I-55."

Jones would not answer any questions about Costco. Plainfield representatives wouldn't confirm that Costco will be the main anchor either.

Plainfield village officials told Patch that the project was also moving forward at the planned unit development stage and that 'The Boulevard' will be discussed at a future public meeting.

For now, the closest Costco for shoppers in the Joliet, Shorewood and Plainfield area is in Bolingbrook along Boughton Road. Another Costco is in Naperville along Route 59.

The Joliet Plan Commission meeting is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, May 30 and lists the project under new business. The agenda notes that there will be a public hearing for a preliminary and final planned unit development being called "The Boulevard Subdivision." It's the only project listed on the city of Joliet's plan commission agenda for that meeting. According to the agenda, the development is located at the northwest quadrant of Route 30 and Interstate 55.

The project would be anchored by a 150,000 square foot "warehouse store," the site of which would fall within the boundaries of Plainfield. There would also be adjacent space for a 70,000-square-foot retail store within Plainfield's boundaries. The design plans outline several more nearby buildings geared for mixed retail and restaurants. Documents list the addition of a hotel that will have more than 100 beds.

The road that would wind through the new Joliet-Plainfield retail and commercial development would lead into an area designated for multi-family residential and townhouses/row houses. The Joliet component would include a yet-to-be determined 50,000-square-foot big-box type store, plus nine smaller commercial out-lots suited for banks, restaurants or other smaller commercial users.

The entire project consists of 171 acres. Joliet's portion is 21 acres.

There has been lots of talk over the years about the old Route 30 truck stop. In 2016, The Joliet Herald-News published an article headlined, "I-55 And Route 30 Still Seen As Prime Retail Potential For Plainfield, Joliet."

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Meanwhile, Joliet has been on a roll of late. Hawk Auto is currently building a new car dealership at the intersection of Route 59 and Caton Farm Road, on land sold by the Joliet Park District. In April, the city of Joliet reviewed plans for a CarMax auto dealership that wants to build along Route 59 near Theodore Street. The city held a groundbreaking event in March for the Rock Run Crossings overlooking I-55 near Shorewood. And last October, the Binny's Beverage Depot opened in Joliet near the Louis Joliet Mall.