The City of Joliet’s Land Use & Economic Development Committee recommended approval by the full City Council of a proposal to financially support downtown businesses during the ongoing construction. The Council approved the proposal at Monday’s board meeting.
Last December, the Joliet City Council approved a resolution creating the Chicago Street Business Continuity Grant Program. The program provides financial assistance to businesses impacted by the construction projects within a certain geographic area that began in May 2024.
Neighboring Lockport implemented a similar program to Joliet’s, which helped keep businesses operational during construction.
Businesses affected by the construction may apply for financial assistance through an application process. Applicants are eligible for assistance of up to 50% of their lost tax-generating sales, with a cap of $100,000 per year.
At Monday’s meeting Mayor Terry D’Arcy noted that prior to the downtown construction that has created a hardship for the downtown business owners they paid the city 300,000 in taxes. What they will receive in assistance is less than the taxes they’ve paid and should not be perceived as a handout.
To date, the city has assisted six local businesses with grant amounts of less than $25,000, ranging from as low as $5,500 to approximately $20,600. These grants were authorized by the City Manager, who has the authority to approve expenditures under $25,000.
The committee was asked to consider the approval of two grants exceeding the $25,000 threshold. Martínez discussed the two applications, one from Cut 158 and one from Juliet’s Tavern, both located on Chicago Street. “Cut 158 is requesting $52,770.84, and Juliet’s would receive $32,747.95 to provide additional financial support due to the ongoing construction,” explained Martínez.
Chairman Cesar Cardenas noted the need to approve the grants to keep local businesses afloat as the construction of Chicago Street continues, with completion expected by the end of 2025. “We need to retain these businesses, which not only create jobs but also generate sales tax revenue for the city,” added Cardenas.
