Several Homeless Staying At Old Will County Courthouse In Joliet

JOLIET, IL — As freezing temperatures and blustery winds swept across Joliet on Monday, a number of homeless people have found shelter by living in the window ledges for the old Will County Courthouse.

On Monday afternoon, several sleeping bags, blankets and personal belongings were found near the first floor windows on the south side of the building along Washington Street.

It's been more than a year since the four-story Will County Courthouse, built in 1969, closed. The property has been vacant ever since. A number of windows around the building have been shattered and replaced with plywood.

In December 2017, Will County government leaders held a ceremony to embark on the construction of a new 10-story courthouse across the street. The new Will County Courthouse opened in October 2020.

On Monday afternoon, Patch reached out to the Will County Executive Office's director of communications for comment.

Patch inquired whether County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant was aware that homeless people are now living outside the old courthouse and whether Will County government can help find them indoor shelter somewhere else.

In November, Joliet Patch asked Bertino's staff for an update on the status of the old courthouse building since it has been left vacant for more than a year now. Will County officials responded that there are three considerations for demolition of the old courthouse. These considerations were presented to a county government committee for review in October.

According to the county, the committee discussed coordination with Com Ed to relocate ComEd's existing substation on the lower level. The substation provides power to multiple downtown buildings besides the former courthouse, county officials explained.

Will County also said it is trying to estimate the cost and schedule for abatement and demolition. There has also been discussion about possible future plans for the site.

In April 2019, the Will County Board passed a resolution supporting the demolition of the old courthouse.

Meanwhile, former Joliet City Council candidate Hudson Hollister has been spearheading efforts in hopes of saving the old courthouse from demolition by trying to redevelop or repurpose the property.

Hollister told Patch he and State Senator John Connor will be participating in a Zoom meeting Wednesday with several national architectural experts to come up with the best solution to save the old courthouse and bring it back to life.

Holliser's office for his HData software technology company is located a block away in the historic Union Station.

"We think the 1969 building can be redeveloped to be a community destination," Hollister said.

As for the homeless people staying at the old courthouse, "that's a problem either way," Hollister said. "The county ought to maintain its own property, regardless of what it plans to do with (it)."

On Monday night, Joliet resident Bob Hernandez visited the old county courthouse to produce a Facebook Live video about the homeless plight at the county property.