McBrody's Project Fails To Materialize In Joliet

JOLIET, IL — Downtown Joliet has witnessed several major projects get underway in recent years and one of those was supposed to be the redevelopment of the empty McBrody's Bar & Grill property at 73 West Jefferson Street. Property investor Bill Aeschliman said he planned to call the place the Courtside Sports Bar.

Joliet Patch last wrote about the McBrody's project in December 2017. Since then, a lot has happened in downtown.

John Bays has acquired both the Two Rialto Square Buildingon North Chicago Street and the Premier Building along Jackson Street. Mike Petry converted the historic Barber Building into a few dozen loft apartments. Noe Patino continues renovating the old Montgomery Ward building into Plaza 66. On the same block, the old Barrett's Hardware store is being converted into a Springhill Suites By Marriott.

Downtown's largest construction project, the $215 million, 10-story-tall Will County Courthouse, is projected to open next fall. The magnificent architectural addition to Joliet's downtown, however, may find itself facing a still-empty and drab-looking McBrody's bar.

The McBrody's bar has remained empty since August 2014.

In December 2017, Patch reported that a City of Joliet construction permit for interior demolition only was displayed on the glass window at the former McBrody's.

However, the business investor who acquired McBrody's did not follow through on his plans for Courtside Sports Bar.

Interim city manager Steve Jones told Joliet Patch during a recent interview that he has not anything about the redevelopment of McBrody's Bar for many months. Jones was unsure whether Aeschliman still intended to open his bar there or not.

Back in 2017, city of Joliet officials were under the mistaken impression that Aeschliman would have the Courtside Sports Bar open in time for March Madness — in March 2018.

Now, the city faces a real possibility that the new Will County Courthouse will open to the public directly across from an unsightly empty commercial building.

Patch hasn't seen any contractors inside the McBrody's property for quite some time.

An October 2017 article in The Joliet Herald-News identified Aeschliman as being one of the co-founders of CarCare Collision Centers. The article indicated the Wilmington man was one of the investors in the Heritage Woods assisted-living center that opened in Minooka in 2017.