Demolition crews have begun work to tear down the former Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet despite preservation efforts for nearly two years by some county officials, historians, architects and residents.
All necessary permits and approvals to demolish the historic building, 14 W. Jefferson St., have been received, and interior demolition has begun, Mike Theodore, a spokesperson for the county executive office, said.
Some windows have been removed from the building’s southeast corner to support removal of interior items, and exterior demolition is likely to begin in January, Theodore said.
Earlier this month, fencing went up to secure the site and protect the 12 historic monuments and plaques, which will be saved. The largest ones include a Civil War memorial and a law enforcement memorial.
Once demolition is completed, the building’s footprint at ground level will be seeded with grass, Theodore said. The existing plaza with all the monuments will remain.
Because the courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office required the county to compile a written report and building survey that includes photographs and archival materials on the property. That information will be retained at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and will be located on the historic preservation office’s website, Theodore said.
The county board’s newly formed ad hoc courthouse committee plans to try one last time to preserve the building. If it cannot be preserved, then it will oversee the demolition process. Theodore said the committee plans to ask the county board’s executive committee to put a halt on the contract at its January meeting.
In October, a $1.5 million contract was awarded to American Demolition Corporation of Carol Stream, the lowest qualified bidder, to demolish the four-story courthouse, which has sat vacant
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for about three years. Nine firms bid on the project, ranging from $949,611 to $2.54 million, county officials said.The city of Joliet issued a demolition permit last month after city officials declined to name it a local historic landmark. The state’s historic preservation office gave its approval last week.
County board member Dan Butler, a member of the ad hoc preservation committee, said its members hope to put a halt on demolition work, but if they cannot, the group will ensure that the demolition project does not go over budget.
Butler, a Republican from Frankfort, said he was concerned the accepted bid came in at $1.5 million when some estimates believed that the work could cost $2.5 million or $3 million. He wants to make sure that the county doesn’t spend more than what’s listed in the agreement.
Butler said while he will continue to push to save the building, he knows he has done everything he can to protect the county’s finances.
The ad hoc courthouse committee next meets at 9 a.m. Dec. 28.
A timeline to complete demolition work is not yet known.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.