Joliet's Chicago Street Will Be Reconfigured

JOLIET, IL - Last month, Will County government officials, judges, courthouse staff and city of Joliet representatives gathered along Washington Street to commemorate the groundbreaking for a new 10-story Will County Courthouse. The $215 million construction project expects to be done in 2020. On Thursday, Will County officials announced that a deal has been reached with the city of Joliet and Mayor Bob O'Dekirk to reopen Chicago Street to traffic through the heart of downtown Joliet. But there's more.

The partnership involving Will County and Joliet means the eventual construction of a new parking lot near historic Union Station. Also, a number of other government-owned properties are being swapped, according to a press release issued by Gary Mack of Mack Communications. The agreement is considered an important aspect of efforts to build the new courthouse at Ottawa and Jefferson and improve the city's infrastructure. One of the city's top goals for 2018 entails forging ahead on work related to the Chicago Street realignment project.

"I'm glad we could come to this agreement with Mayor O'Dekirk, who has been a big supporter of our new state-of-the-art courthouse," said Will County Board Speaker Jim Moustis, a Republican from Frankfort. "It demonstrates how different levels of government can work together to the benefit of both the County and the City."

Mayor O'Dekirk told Patch that the reworking of Chicago Street to make it into a cohesive two-way stretch of traffic has been discussed in Joliet for many years, but it has never moved forward. But now it's going to happen, he said. As area motorists know, the current route diverts cars away from Chicago Street at the train viaduct near Union Station. There will be one building that will be torn down across from the Rialto Square Theatre as part of the arrangement. Its demolition will allow Joliet to enhance and expand the city's plaza near Van Buren Street, where the city holds its annual Christmas tree lighting celebration.

"I think it's a fair deal for the county," O'Dekirk said Thursday afternoon, adding that City Council member John Gerl deserves a lot of credit for helping on the courthouse project.

"We're definitely looking to make it a center of the city downtown," the mayor said, referring to the city plaza.

Site of the new courthouse. The old First Midwest building will be razed.

Here are other aspects of the Will County-Joliet agreements, according to the release:

• Will County transfers a piece of land to Joliet between Washington and Jefferson streets so Joliet can connect portions of Chicago Street to allow cars to pass through the thoroughfare.
• A new parking lot will be built by Union Station. Joliet will acquire a county-owned parking lot and combine that with Joliet's current Union Station lot. The new lot will be unified and have automated pay stations maintained by the county. Parking in that lot will be free on weekends, holidays and after 4 p.m. daily, the press release noted.
• The county will transfer the building at 121 Chicago St. to Joliet, which will then demolish it.
• The county will transfer a parking lot near Lafayette Street to Joliet.

"As a resident of Joliet and a board member, I'm thrilled we could put this deal together," said Denise Winfrey, a Democrat from Joliet. "I think both City and County residents will find it easier to get around downtown and park, whether to visit our new courthouse or any of Joliet's many other attractions and businesses."

File images from courthouse groundbreaking ceremony via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak