The Joliet City Council Tuesday approved spending $542,000 in landscaping improvements throughout the community to beautify the city.
The expenditure is $250,000 more than what the city budgeted beginning of the year. Greg Ruddy, public works director, said the amount increased because of so many entryways are included in beautification improvement plan.
The beautification project will be completed at entry points to Joliet, including Six Corners at Plainfield Road, Raynor Avenue and Black Road; Center and Marion streets; Chicago Street and Fifth Avenue; Larkin Avenue and Theodore Street; Larkin and McDonough Street; Broadway Street along the Broadway Greenway; Route 6 and Gougar Road; Jefferson Street at the Joliet Regional Airport; Route 59 and Caton Farm Road; Black and Bronk roads. Some of these sites have minor landscaping, monuments and statues, Ruddy said.
The company completing the job will be Allied Landscaping, which submitted the lowest bid of $484,195. The other bid was for $981,250. The city will also buy plants directly from three companies for $68,058, mostly consisting of perennials.
Councilman Larry Hug said he learned from industry insiders that the winning bid was a fair price. But he urged staff to allocate $40,000 to $50,000 in the budget each year to maintain the program.
“It will beautify the city, there is no doubt about it,” said Hug.
Councilman Joe Clement agreed with Hug saying, “We have to maintain what we have.
“I had numerous people tell me we have to clean up the city,” added Clement. “It is a lot of money, but it’s money well spent.”
Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra suggests asking community organizations to help maintain the entryways, similar to the Adopt A Highway program.
In other city council news, members unanimously approved a special use permit for Jimmy John’s sandwich shop with a drive through across the street from Plainfield South High School at 7801 Caton Farm Road.
