Will County is another step closer to a new judicial complex in downtown Joliet.
The county board’s capital improvements committee voted unanimously to begin planning for a new courthouse as well as offices for departments such as the court clerk and public defender, on a 4.3 acre site at the corner of Jefferson and Ottawa.
After the county officially acquires the $4 million property later this summer, the sheriff’s department will operate out of the First Midwest Building that currently stands on that site.
The new complex is expected to cost between $140 million and $200 million.
The entire board will hear the proposal at their June 19 meeting.
Legislation on Governor Quinn’s desk could help pay for the new facility, by charging $30 in certain court cases, to help generate between $1.5 million and $2 million annually for the project.
