Will County Gazette

The Joliet City Council has approved the long-awaited City Square project, set to transform an area adjacent to the historic Rialto Square Theater. The project, identified in the Downtown Joliet Plan of 2015, aims to create a larger urban gathering space at the corner of Clinton and Chicago Streets.

Mayor Terry D’Arcy emphasized the importance of revitalizing downtown Joliet. “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 stated. “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 construction, noted that City Square complements the ongoing Chicago Street Reconstruction project. “The Chicago Street Reconstruction project implements a redesign of Chicago Street from Jefferson Street to Cass Street to reestablish the identity of this corridor as 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 explained.

City Planner Jayne Bernhard secured $3 million from the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets Capital Grant through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) towards an estimated total renovation cost of about $21 million. Additionally, $2,501,760 from Joliet’s REBUILD Illinois allocation will fund part of both projects.

Community input on design began in September 2022 with open houses, surveys, public comments, city council presentations, and stakeholder meetings. Dave DiLorenzo from University of St. Francis expressed gratitude for transparency: “We are excited for the opportunities that this space will create for our students and faculty.”

Priscilla Cordero from Joliet City Center Partnership sees economic potential: “The City Square and Chicago Street reconstruction will be a catalyst for economic development allowing Joliet to attract new development.” Monica Cicimov from C&C Vision Gallery added: “This project will benefit current and future generations... We are excited to see that the City of Joliet... [is] fully committed to revitalization.”

Construction is scheduled to begin later this year with completion expected by end-2025. More information can be found on Joliet's official website.

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