March 16, 2023
Landmarks Illinois received responses to its exploratory Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Illinois, from six firms. These firms include developers, architects and engineers that specialize in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Landmarks Illinois & Courthouse Preservation Partnership issued the exploratory RFEI on January 18, 2023, and responses were due March 10, 2023.
The purpose of the RFEI was to collect potential reuse ideas for the architecturally significant but threatened former courthouse building and share these ideas with Will County officials as a means to encourage the county to issue an official Request for Proposals (RFP) for redevelopment.
As is evidenced by the RFEI responses, the Will County Courthouse poses unique opportunities for redevelopment. Each responding firm indicated the courthouse is reusable and expressed interest in responding to an official Request for Proposals, should Will County initiate such a process in the future. While each suggested reuse has merit, three in particular provide services and amenities currently in demand in downtown Joliet: consolidated government services, housing and a hotel.
See the RFEI responses below.
