The Joliet City Council approved spending just over $20 million for the downtown City Square development, major street repairs and improvements. The project known as City Square, has been in the works since the city completed the Downtown Joliet Plan in 2015 that identified the need to create a larger urban gathering space downtown.
The council awarded the contract for the Chicago Street streetscape design from Jefferson to Cass streets; City Square adjacent to Chicago Street from Van Buren to Clinton streets; and water and sewer utility improvements along the corridor to Austin Tyler Construction in Elwood. Once constructed, City Square, which will cost approximately $9 million, would become a gathering place for festivals and events in downtown Joliet. The new development, will create a vibrant urban space in the downtown area with trees, play areas for children and a stage for special
events expected to be completed late 2025.
Bringing many of the Joliet plans identified in previous studies to fruition was one of Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy’s top priorities when he was elected spring of 2023. “The area surrounding the historic Rialto Square Theater is in the heart of Joliet and deserves to be a place for families to gather and enjoy the beautiful amenities and dining options downtown has to offer,” D’Arcy said. “The City Square plan will support and promote our downtown businesses and institutions while establishing a safe location for year-round events for residents, visitors, employees and students in the region to enjoy.”
Lisa Dorothy, Project Manager and Civil Engineer leading the construction and engineering for the project noted the development of City Square is complementary to the Chicago Street Reconstruction project, and the streetscape plan for this project will also be developed at the same time. “The Chicago Street Reconstruction project implements and redesign of Chicago Street from Jefferson Street to Cass Street to reestablish the identity of this corridor and a street that is safe for all types of transportation. Both projects advance the high-level conceptual designs from the Chicago Street Corridor Plan adopted in 2018,” Dorothy said.
Jane Bernhard, City Planner and Project Manager, oversaw the public input process on the design and amenities for City Square as well as helped secure grant funding for the project. Bernhard and colleagues secured $3 million from the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets Capital Grant through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to fund a portion of the total cost of the renovations estimated at about $21 million.
City officials describe the City Square development project as a “vibrant gathering place to downtown Joliet.” The square will provide a “green oasis” and a place
of respite and entertainment in the city center. City Square is located across the street from the Rialto Square Theatre.
Councilman Larry Hug, Public Services Committee chairman, said he is concerned about the cost of the City Square project, adding initial estimates were between $8 million and $8.5 million.
“It is not $20 million for the plaza, it is $11 million for road infrastructure and utility improvements,” said Hug. “I am also disturbed there is no maintenance
schedule in the budget.”
While he approved the project, Hug promised he will not support a single change order for the plaza project in the future that will increase costs.
Councilman-at-large Joe Clement said he hopes the bidding process will be clearer in the future.
“This project has been in the works for a long time, and it is a lot of money,” said Clement. “Maybe our contractors, Beth and city staff can bounce off ideas and have
a clear idea when bids come out.”
Councilwoman Suzanna Ibarra, who attended the meeting remotely, was pleased to see the project move forward.
“Every good city such as Utica and LaSalle have one focal point of their city where they have events and music festivals,” she said. “It is a money maker.”
Prior to the board, members of Joliet City Center Partnership Board gave their support for the City Square project, citing retail sales and tourism as pluses the redevelopment will bring to the downtown corridor. The City Center Partnership offers an incentive grant program to stimulate private investment and provides a tool for
sustaining redevelopment in downtown Joliet.
