A developer is seeking to redevelop the historic but long-closed St. Mary Carmelite Church in Joliet, Illinois, into a large restaurant and apartments, according to the Joliet Bugle. “A loan has been secured, and they are going to close in April,” Mayor Tom Giarrante said on Friday. “I am very happy. It is a beautiful … Continue reading Joliet church will be redeveloped into a restaurant, apartments
Tag: Joliet
Rialto Square Theatre will get a new marquee
The historic Rialto Square Theatre along Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, soon will receive a new marquee and will repaint its iconic vertical sign thanks to a $350,000 gift from a local construction firm owner, reported The Herald-News. The new marquee will have LED screens suitable for video under the name of the theater. Ed Czerkies of … Continue reading Rialto Square Theatre will get a new marquee
Route 66 expert worries about traffic congestion in Chicago suburbs
A prominent Route 66 expert wrote a letter to a village, expressing his concern that truck traffic will negatively impact tourism on the Mother Road in Will County, Illinois, reported Suburban Life Publications. John Weiss, who won the prestigious Steinbeck Award for historic preservation with his late wife Lenore in 2002 and has written several books … Continue reading Route 66 expert worries about traffic congestion in Chicago suburbs
Route 66 theme sparks increase in customers at restaurant
File this away under Mr. Obvious. But it's good to see what a Route 66 theme can do for a business, all other things being equal. A longtime restaurant in downtown Joliet, Illinois, has seen a sizable increase in the number of customers since changing to changing its name from the Joliet Restaurant to Joliet Route 66 Diner two … Continue reading Route 66 theme sparks increase in customers at restaurant
Suburban Chicago county approves Route 66 marketing plan
The board of Will County, Ill., recently approved a new marketing plan for a long-overlooked section of Route 66 from Joliet to Braidwood, reported the Southtown Star. The newspaper said: There is an “untapped tourism potential” here, and tying all these natural, recreational and historical amenities together is historic Route 66, said project consultant Ferhat … Continue reading Suburban Chicago county approves Route 66 marketing plan
Downtown Joliet church soon will be auctioned
The historic but long-closed St. Mary Carmelite Church in downtown Joliet, Ill., will be auctioned Oct. 23 after attempts to convert it to senior housing stalled, according to The Herald-News and other media outlets. Scott Henry of Celadon Holdings hopes the building will fetch at least $278,000, which was about was put spent on the church … Continue reading Downtown Joliet church soon will be auctioned