YAS Architecture

High-rise, hotel proposed
By Charles B. Pelkie, Staff Writer
May 21, 2004

JOLIET – Two major downtown projects – one a 20-story condominium high-rise, the other an upscale hotel – are the latest in a series of proposals that have sparked the interest of local officials who are eager to push forward the revitalization of Joliet’s City Center.

The Joliet Towers condominium project, which is proposed for a city-owned parking lot at Jefferson and Scott streets east of the Will County Courthouse, would be the tallest building in downtown Joliet.

The 20th floor would be lit through white translucent glass, creating a dramatic landmark on the downtown skyline, said Stephen Yas, the building’s architect and one of the development partners.
The project, which has been in the works for a year, was unveiled Thursday following a session in which a team of urban planners discussed strategies for attracting residential and retail development to downtown Joliet.
The building would feature between 120 and 150 condominiums and lofts and roughly 10,000 square feet of street-level retail shops on Jefferson and Scott streets. In addition, it would include between 300 and 400 indoor parking spaces that would be used by the building’s occupants, downtown shoppers and commuters who use the neighboring Union Station.

The high-rise also would include a shaded rooftop garden at the fifth floor as well as an indoor pool for use by residents.

The proposed units would provide one to three bedrooms and range from 1,000 square feet to more than 1,600 square feet. The partners, which include developers Micky Nenadic and Lon Porter, said they were not ready to release prices.
At the lower levels, the building would feature a traditional façade that complements the neighboring terra cotta and limestone structures. But the design becomes increasingly modern as the building climbs toward the sky.
"It transitions from a historic base to a modern tower," Yas said, adding, "It’s the juxtaposition of the two that provides the drama as the building unfolds."
. . .
Joliet officials consider the projects to be major steps in the revitalization of the downtown district. The city has been working to attract restaurants and entertainment venues as well as residential projects to the City Center in the hopes that retail shops will follow.

A series of new restaurants have opened in recent weeks. A night club and a comedy club also are scheduled to open. In the past several months, city officials have received proposals to redevelop an old warehouse south of Union Station into upscale condominiums as well as a $16 million plan to convert the former YMCA building on Ottawa Street into affordable apartments for senior citizens.

The Joliet Towers project, however, has captured the imaginations of city officials. Ironically, the large-scale project was publicly unveiled on the day that a team of urban planners suggested that city officials taking smaller steps toward the development of residential units.
"This would be a big step forward for the city," Fisher said of Joliet Towers. "It will definitely make a statement."
Mayor Art Schultz also found the project intriguing. "As far as I’m concerned, this is a great project for the downtown area," he said. "But I also want to see how much it will cost the taxpayers."

The mayor noted that there are many unanswered questions related to financing construction. A parking deck originally was proposed for the site. U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller R-Morris, recently secured $2.5 million in federal funding for that project.

Fisher said the federal money will not be used to fund any portion of Joliet Towers, including the parking structure.
The developers, however, said they will seek tax incentives available through the city’s tax increment financing district and the Des Plaines River Valley Enterprise Zone. The level of assistance, however, has yet to be determined, Yas said Thursday.
Schultz also said he wants to make certain that Chicago Street eventually is extended north through a county-owned parking lot to Jefferson Street. That parking lot would be between Joliet Tower and the courthouse.

JOLIET – Two major downtown projects – one a 20-story condominium high-rise, the other an upscale hotel – are the latest in a series of proposals that have sparked the interest of local officials who are eager to push forward the revitalization of Joliet’s City Center.
	The Joliet Towers condominium project, which is proposed for a city-owned parking lot at Jefferson and Scott streets east of the Will County Courthouse, would be the tallest building in downtown Joliet.
The 20th floor would be lit through white translucent glass, creating a dramatic landmark on the downtown skyline, said Stephen Yas, the building’s architect and one of the development partners. The project, which has been in the works for a year, was unveiled Thursday following a session in which a team of urban planners discussed strategies for attracting residential and retail development to downtown Joliet. The building would feature between 120 and 150 condominiums and lofts and roughly 10,000 square feet of street-level retail shops on Jefferson and Scott streets. In addition, it would include between 300 and 400 indoor parking spaces that would be used by the building’s occupants, downtown shoppers and commuters who use the neighboring Union Station.
The high-rise also would include a shaded rooftop garden at the fifth floor as well as an indoor pool for use by residents.
The proposed units would provide one to three bedrooms and range from 1,000 square feet to more than 1,600 square feet. The partners, which include developers Micky Nenadic and Lon Porter, said they were not ready to release prices. At the lower levels, the building would feature a traditional façade that complements the neighboring terra cotta and limestone structures. But the design becomes increasingly modern as the building climbs toward the sky. "It transitions from a historic base to a modern tower," Yas said, adding, "It’s the juxtaposition of the two that provides the drama as the building unfolds." . . . Joliet officials consider the projects to be major steps in the revitalization of the downtown district. The city has been working to attract restaurants and entertainment venues as well as residential projects to the City Center in the hopes that retail shops will follow.