Mayor Terry D'Arcy, City Of Joliet | City Of Joliet website
Mayor Terry D'Arcy, City Of Joliet | City Of Joliet website
The City of Joliet has approved two companies to develop the city’s comprehensive plan, marking the first such effort in nearly six decades. The plan is intended to guide future development over the next ten years.
Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Urban3 were selected following an almost two-year process. A comprehensive plan serves as a visioning document that guides community choices and investments based on feedback from residents. This plan aims to help Joliet strategically invest in capital improvements, benefiting current residents and stakeholders while supporting future community development.
Mayor Terry D’Arcy expressed gratitude towards the council for their support and acknowledged the staff's efforts. “This will be our blueprint for the city moving forward,” D’Arcy stated. “It has been in the works for a long time but now we have the opportunity to work together as a community to plan our future.”
Lamar Johnson Collaborative’s approach includes five phases with public engagement activities and associated deliverables, estimated to take 18–24 months:
1. Evaluate: Project kick-off, branding, data collection, existing conditions analysis, advisory committee meetings.
2. Investigate: Key person interviews, community visioning workshop, policy framework definition.
3. Enhance: Public workshops on key topics, advisory committee meetings.
4. Empower: Draft plan preparation, subarea plans preparation.
5. Examine: Implementation plan preparation, final plan presentation.
Given Joliet’s size (approximately 63 square miles), the project cost is estimated at $581,000 over three fiscal years.
Urban3 was recommended for a specialized Economic Analysis within the comprehensive plan project. This analysis will evaluate development impacts on city finances and infrastructure to inform policy decisions regarding future developments. Urban3’s fee proposal of $138,768 will be partially funded by a $75,000 grant from the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority (JADA).
City Planner and Project Manager Jayne Bernhard highlighted Lamar Johnson Collaborative's inclusive approach during Monday’s Pre-Council Meeting presentation. “They will be meeting residents through a wide variety of meetings including actively engaging those not traditionally involved in the planning process,” Bernhard explained.
For more information about Joliet or media inquiries:
Rosemaria DiBenedetto
Media Engagement and Communications Director
Cell: 847-269-5556
Email: rdibenedetto@joliet.gov
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