City officials want to turn the former Joliet Correctional Center site into something more than atmosphere shots for Fox Network’s “Prison Break” and cameos in movies like the “Blues Brothers.”
On Tuesday night, the mayor and City Council voted to ask the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to help identify environmental conditions at the 148-year-old limestone landmark, a necessary step before redevelopment plans can be nailed down.
City Manager John Mezera says the agency already is offering Joliet $100,000 for environmental services with no strings attached. Mezera said this week that the city won’t have to ante up any matching funds for the Targeted Brownfield Assessment Grant.
The grant would be used to develop a complete history of the 180-acre property, conduct environmental sampling and list a summary of potential environmental problems.
An agency representative serves as a member of the Collins Street Task Force, co-chaired by state Sen. Arthur “A. J.” Wilhelmi (D-Crest Hill) and Rep. John “Jack” McGuire (D-Joliet.) Task force members include local elected officials and business leaders.
The Collins Street Task Force follows the approach used by the Joliet arsenal redevelopment task force.
“We’ve started on a joint partnership,” Wilhelmi told city officials. “Now we have the IEPA coming forward.”
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