Will County Gazette

The City of Joliet and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) have announced the initiation of the planning process for the Downtown Joliet Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD) Plan. This plan aims to improve areas surrounding the Joliet Gateway Transportation Center, enhancing development opportunities while ensuring a welcoming and active downtown environment.

A community-wide workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at the Gateway Transportation Center Train Station located at 90 East Jefferson Street. The workshop will follow an open house format, allowing residents to participate from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Free parking will be available in surrounding lots.

City planner Jayne Bernhard highlighted that discussions about developing the former Lyons Lumberyard property and its surroundings have been ongoing for several years. "With continued public and private investment in this area of our downtown, the City acted on a grant opportunity from the Regional Transportation Authority in late 2022 to formally study this area for future development opportunities and overall enhancements," Bernhard stated.

Public input is deemed crucial for creating a thoughtful and realistic plan. "We hope people will pop in to provide input and share their ideas," Bernhard added. To encourage attendance, tours of the newly opened Joliet Railroad Museum will be available that evening.

Residents can stay informed via the project website at https://www.joliet.gov/etod and may participate both in person and online throughout the plan’s development. The entire process is expected to take about a year, with updates provided through the project website.