According to Dr. Robert E. Sterling’s book, “Joliet Then and Now,” this is what Van Buren Street looked like pre-parking deck, from Chicago Street looking west.
By Anneta Drilling, local history librarian
One of the nicest things that has happened in downtown Joliet recently is the opening of the new park, the City Square.
It took a number of years to see it come to life. Indeed it has come to life. It appears to have drawn life to it. Yesterday it was apparent that there was a wedding taking place. It has brought programming, activities and people to the downtown area.
Plenty of people are enjoying it! It adds a friendly atmosphere to old downtown Joliet.
The block before City Square
What was in the area before the City Square? Well, most recently it was a parking lot. There was a parking lot for library patrons and an adjacent lot mostly for patrons of the Rialto Square Theatre. Parking was very convenient for both groups of people.
Before that, the State’s Attorneys’ Office stood there for some time. Before that, there was a block of businesses there on Chicago Street.
When the Ottawa Street Parking Facility was added to the square block, Van Buren Street ceased to be a thoroughfare between Chicago Street and Ottawa Street.
In order to beautify the location a fountain was added as were some tables and trees. It was used for outdoor festivals and events.
Downtown’s changing landscape
Before 1980, the parking facility did not exist. There were offices and storefronts all around that block.
It’s tough to imagine now that there were businesses across the street from where Richardson’s is, or across the street from where the Mode Theater (current USF building) was, and that Van Buren Street connected Chicago Street to Ottawa Street.
The boundaries of the block that we are studying is Chicago Street North on the east, Clinton Street to the north, Ottawa Street to the west and Van Buren Street to the south.
All four of these streets had businesses on the left and right sides of the street.
Let’s take a look back in time
When I began working at the Joliet Public Library in 1988, eight years after the parking deck had opened, many of the department stores like Sears, J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward had all moved out of downtown Joliet headed for the Jefferson Square Mall or the Louis Joliet Mall.
Some of the remaining stores downtown were Kline’s Department Store, the White Store, Fannie May, Fahrenbacher’s Individual Fashions, W.T. Grant’s five and ten cent store and WJRC radio.
Before the parking facility was built, the affected streets were lined with business, barber shops and beauty salons, restaurants and shops, physician and lawyer offices.
Downtown Joliet hasn’t been the bustling place it was in yesteryear in quite a while. However, changes are being made that could help revitalize the city center. At least, I have high hopes for that.