Residents in the City of Joliet are asking why Lori Carmine, manager of Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park, has been placed on administrative leave. The Park is run by the City of Joliet.

City officials Tuesday refused to elaborate on Carmine’s job status, indicating they do not comment on personnel matters, according to City Manager Beth Beatty. Carmine has been park manager since 2016 and was well known in the community for being part of Joliet’s theater and arts scene since she was a child. 

While giving her city manager report Tuesday, Beatty told the community that there is no truth to rumors that the city plans to sell or privatize Bicentennial Park.

The park, theater and bandshell is a 10 – acre park in Downtown Joliet located along the river between Cass and Jefferson streets. The park, run by the city of Joliet, regularly offers fine arts programs like improv, poetry and music on the hill for adults and children.

Mary Beth Gannon and others questioning the personnel change said the future of Bicentennial Park has remained uncertain since Joliet hired Ann Sylvester in late July for the newly created position of director of cultural affairs, special events and expanding cultural activity in the community.

Gannon said she will not allow the city to push Carmine out of her job without probable cause.

 “The theater helps build healthy relationships and gives kids small wins,” one attendee of the meeting said. “Bicentennial Park provides children respite from spending too much time on their screens isolated from others. She said it gives children and adults an outlet to express themselves artistically.”

Olive Lorenz said the theater program has made her childhood so much better.  It makes her believe she can accomplish anything.”

“Going to Bicentennial Park has taught me how to perform on stage and gave me the confidence and helped me make new friends,” she said.

Rain Fox, 15, a Joliet West High School student, said the arts scene brings everyone together, especially young people looking for a place to belong and forge a path toward a bright future.

“I am only 15 and don’t understand politics,” she said. “I only understand theater and music.”

In other Joliet City news, the City announced it will host a public hearing at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, on the second floor of City Council Chambers on a data center campus that could consist of 24 buildings on 800 acres of farmland east of the Chicagoland Speedway NASCAR racetrack.

If this 200,000-square-foot project in District 5 comes to fruition, city officials said it would be one of the largest types of data centers in the Chicago region. Joliet officials said this project could bring in more than 1,000 construction jobs and between 250 and 300 full-time positions.

The project is spearheaded by Hillwood, a company led by Ross Perot Jr. The data center development campus would be located on Schweitzer, Ridge and Millsdale roads. While Hillwood has yet to say which companies would be located on site, Joliet officials said possibilities do include technology giants like Microsoft and Meta.