Joliet dedicated City Square and unveiled UnityDome, highlighting community input in design

City of Joliet officials formally dedicated City Square on a sunny afternoon, unveiling UnityDome and laying out a summer season of concerts and community events.

Ann Sylvester, director of cultural affairs and special events for the City of Joliet, opened the program and introduced the day’s performers, speakers and partners. "Thank you all so much for joining us here today for the official dedication of City Square," she said as the city welcomed families and visitors to the new public space.

Mayor Terry Darcy framed the square as a civic anchor for downtown, saying the project "is more than the opening of a public space. It's about celebrating a shared vision for Downtown Joliet and creating a place people can come together for generations to come." He credited residents’ feedback and a broad community engagement process in shaping the space.

The artist behind UnityDome, Sija Chen, described the piece as a collaborative work shaped by months of workshops and community input. "Public space and public art are investments to civic life," she said, adding the dome includes references to Joliet landmarks and invites people to gather.

A Joliet Central High School art student who participated in workshops, Angela Guzman, told attendees the design "did not emerge from just one individual, but rather from months of collaboration between the artists and the residents of this city," and praised the artist for listening to participants’ ideas.

The Joliet Public Library’s executive director, Megan Millen, explained the library made parking available to make City Square possible. "Libraries have never been about parking lots. They've always been about people," Millen said, framing the land contribution as a community investment in a shared gathering place.

The city also announced inaugural season programming running June through August, including wellness workouts, dancing in the square, "Sounds on 66" Friday concerts, a Cars and Guitars event with the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and an outdoor screening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Gary Shumal, president of Austin Tyler Construction, thanked the city and contractors for their work and praised the crews who built the square, saying the team "came in budgeted, targeted, and on time." The mayor also acknowledged key staff—including City Manager Beth Beatty and project leaders Jane Bernhard and Lisa Dorothy—and local business partners who tolerated construction disruptions.

The dedication included additional public art elements: Joliet secured a Route 66 Centennial bench by local artist Angelica Crystal titled "Echoes of the Mother Road," and the city commissioned a poem from Joliet’s poet laureate, Uxmar Torres, who read a poem celebrating memory and community traditions.

The program concluded with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a photo opportunity at UnityDome and an invitation to return for regular programming and events that organizers said will anchor downtown activity.