Steve Jones Returns For Joliet Public Library's Renovation Gala

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Public Library Executive Director Megan Millen welcomed community leaders and fellow public officials to Thursday night's program to mark the start of the $10.5 million renovation to the downtown Joliet library branch.

The facelift to the library is called Project Burnham, named after Daniel Burnham, the late Chicago architect who designed the building more than 100 years ago. The Ottawa Street branch opened in 1903.

Thursday's gala was called the No Little Plans Party.

Joliet's library set up a large outdoor tent in the parking lot along Clinton Street, and the Joliet Junior College Jazz Combo provided live music.

Jitters Coffeehouse in downtown Joliet and Cheesecake by James provided the food and refreshments.

One notable former city of Joliet official who lives in La Grange Park returned to attend the event: former interim city manager Steve Jones. He also spent several years as the city's economic development director before serving as interim city manager for 13 months.

Jones left Joliet last August. He's now working for the village of Roselle as its economic development consultant.

Jones was credited during Thursday night's presentation as being a major advocate of the library's Project Burnham during his time with Joliet.

Jones told Joliet Patch that the $10.5 million remodeling will become a tremendous asset for downtown Joliet once the work is finished more than a year from now. It will also be a great benefit for the library's underserved patrons who live on the east side of Joliet, he said.

"Infrastructure is not just roads and bridges," Jones told Patch during the gala. "It's about people. The fact that it's a Burnham building, it's in a revitalized area, Joliet Junior College has a brand new building along with the new Will County Courthouse, it's time to do something with this building. It's about people, it's not about things."

Jones told Patch that he plans to make a return visit to Joliet when the downtown library branch renovations are completed.

"I will be here when this thing opens, if they still invite me back," he smiled.

The event's speakers included:

• Millen, the library's executive director
• Bob O'Dekirk, Joliet's two-term mayor
• Lynn Poper Samalea of Joliet Public Library's board of directors
• Shaun Kelly of Engberg Anderson Architects
• State Senator John Connor
• Former State Senator Pat McGuire

As the event drew to a close, Millen asked everyone to raise their glass of champagne for a toast to celebrate what she considered a milestone history event for Joliet's main library branch.

Millen came to the Joliet library in 2016. "Those that know me know that I arrived in Joliet in 2016 with an almost single-minded purpose, to get Project Burnham off the ground," Millen announced Thursday evening.

Before making the toast, she referred to a quote from famous boxer Muhammed Ali: "Impossible is not a fact, it is an opinion."

Then she continued by telling everyone to help her "turn this ugly duckling building into a beautiful swan."

In 2020, outgoing Senator McGuire helped the Joliet Public Library obtain a Rebuild Illinois Community Development Initiative grant of $6.5 million. The library will use about $4 million in reserve funds to cover the rest of the renovations.

With renovations underway now, the Project Burnham is slated to be done in the fall of 2022.

For more details about the project, go here.