Kendall County Times

The Joliet City Council discussed the future of the former city courthouse building, the fate of which has continued to be in flux, during the council's regular meeting on April 18.

Council member Cesar Guerrero asked about the issue during the discussion session, noting that the fate of the building was not currently subject to any final motions on the board, and he felt the council should discuss the potential development of the site, possibly taking bids on it. City Manager James Capparelli agreed, but the site can't be sold or used by a private developer.

"We did open a dialog in terms of trying to get that back off the ground in terms of having a facility there that would be county and city," he said. "There is a covenant that runs with the land that says that that land must be used for governmental purposes only. So you cannot have a private entity investing in that unless it's government-private. You know, I just don't I just can't see it from there. But the covenant does say that it has to be used for governmental purposes only."

The building has long been a discussion point in the community, with some labeling it "the ugliest courthouse in America," as it is built in the Brutalist style. Many others, however, have been calling for the protection of the building, which was built in 1969, and are trying to get it to be the first Brutalist structure from Illinois on the National Register of Historic Locations. Mayor Bob O'Dekirk said the building is owned by Will County, which decided long ago that the building would be demolished, however, no demolition date has been set. However, that also means the city has no jurisdiction over the structure.

O'Dekirk said the city has worked with the county and other authorities to decide what to do with the property. The city is trying to work with the county to potentially redevelop the building into a joint operations center, he said but added that the county has not been responsive to the idea.