Consultants say hybrid outreach doubled participation; Joliet character-area feedback favors mixed-use, parks and neighborhood services

Consultants leading City of Joliet’s comprehensive-plan work told the advisory committee that hybrid outreach meaningfully expanded public participation and will inform sub-area plans. Katrina said the in-person workshop drew about 100 people while online responses totaled “about a 168,” with the online window closing March 20; those responses will be synthesized into conceptual diagrams for each character area and folded into the draft plan.

Katrina summarized the highest-volume themes by area. For the Joliet Mall character area respondents favored a mixed‑use destination with multifamily housing, family-friendly entertainment (arcades, bowling, indoor pools) and improved regional connectivity. Ridge Road feedback emphasized balanced redevelopment with parks, plazas, safe pedestrian and bike infrastructure and the possibility of a small grocery or library branch. On the East Side (Cass Street/Henderson Avenue) commenters pushed to build on local history and culture — Katrina cited interest in preserving and enhancing Darrow’s Flea Market, possibly with a mural — and asked for improved parks and an affordable grocery option. For Chicago/McDonough the team heard calls for neighborhood revitalization, health-care connections and stronger links to downtown.

Leslie, who walked the committee through the draft plan outline, said character areas are conceptual tools that show how citywide strategies could look in specific places; they will not prescribe architectural details but will illustrate preferred land uses and development patterns. Leslie also noted the outreach program’s earlier survey collected more than 2,000 responses and that the workshop-format survey responses outpaced in-person attendance, reinforcing the value of continuing hybrid engagement.

The consultants asked the advisory committee for feedback on vision statements and preliminary strategies. Committee members encouraged continued outreach, suggested showing concrete examples from other cities, and urged staff to route results into sub-area draft plans and the draft comprehensive plan so residents can see clear, implementable options. The consultants said the draft plan will include implementation priorities, roles and rough order-of-magnitude costing for strategies once the committee confirms priorities.