Patch Readers React To West Jefferson St. Story

JOLIET, IL — Since June, the actions of the Joliet City Council's Mudron 5 have spoke volumes. Economic development would be less of a priority for the city of Joliet under their watch. They plucked economic development director Steve Jones from his duties and made him City Hall's day to day manager overseeing all government operations, including police, fire and public works.

The Mudron 5 consists of 31-year councilman Mike Turk, Don "Duck" Dickinson, Bettye Gavin, Sherri Reardon and long-time Joliet insurance agent Pat Mudron. The Mudron 5 represents the interests of the Old Political Guard of Joliet, Patch revealed in a column last summer.

In light of Jones' seven-month-long absence from the economic development office, fewer and fewer new businesses and redevelopment projects have come forward around Joliet. A number of redevelopment projects approved by the city council a couple years ago haven't materialized such as plans to build a Buona Beef drive-thru restaurant at Jefferson and Springfield Ave.

Nowadays, the busiest road in Joliet, West Jefferson Street, is becoming lined with more boarded up buildings and empty strip malls than at any time in the past five years.

Not good news for Joliet, not good at all.

Several faithful readers of the Joliet Patch read Friday's article and offered their comments. Bottom line: they want their city of Joliet officials to take notice and take a more active role in making Joliet better.

Here's a sampling of some of their comments:

• "I am older and disabled. I literally fear going shopping because I have been accosted by aggressive panhandlers. I used to frequently shop at stores on Jefferson Street, but no longer."
• "Looks like Manheim Rd. Joliet really needs some dive lingerie bars on Jefferson so a girl can make a little cash to stay at the Star Inn."
• "As long as Fenton's and Star Inn are open, everything else will end up closing on Jefferson. Inspectors do your darn job and start going after these two establishments."
• "I do believe our local politicians have blinders on. They absolutely do not see this decline and deprivation. It is disgusting. The drug deals, homeless issue and empty abandoned buildings have been going on for years but now is accelerating at a rapid pace."
• "Start bulldozing. I'd rather see empty parking lots than places like Senor Tequila still standing, and clean up all the homeless and druggie areas too."
• "These buildings are the monuments to the blowing winds of economic change. Like everyone else: I find it way more convenient to order items on line, and have them delivered via UPS truck. I get a better price, and do not have to brave: traffic, ice, police, criminals, Walmart people, and long lines."
• "Great article! Now city council we need a process to remove the nuisance properties so that the remaining business’ can prosper and we can turn this around. All these crappy motels in town, the cheap run down ones need to go! If the police are going there over and over there’s a problem."
• "Maybe we should all just go out of town to get our gas and do all our shopping like councilwoman Bettye Gavin says she does."
• "I am surprised with how much you have raised my taxes over the last 15 yrs you would think Joliet would be booming. The eastside has moved now it goes up to Holbolt Rd that is why no one wants anything on Jefferson."
• "Call me crazy but if Basingers owns the Senor Tequila property and planned to move there, why hasn't there been any follow up? Is the city scared to enact eminent domain?"

• "These buildings need to be converted to shelters for the homeless and their dogs. I see that poor Steve on his mile long bicycle with his filthy puppies and pray he doesn't freeze to death. Help the homeless. Yup."
• "The back of Senior Tequila's is where the dealers sell the homeless their drugs. You can watch them walk straight from the Star Inn to go deal. You'll also notice a dirty blonde girl and guy working the corner of Jefferson and Larkin. They panhandle with signs that say homeless, then they hop into her new Honda Civic and drive away."

ICYMI: West Jefferson Street: Empty Buildings More Than Ever