Shorewood LaQuinta Construction Enters 4th Year

SHOREWOOD, IL — The construction of Shorewood's La Quinta Inn & Suites overlooking Interstate 55 has turned into one of the slowest Will County hotel construction projects in recent history. The construction is now entering its fourth year.

The village of Shorewood approved the project in 2016. In March of 2017, Mayor Rick Chapman announced during his state of the village speech that the new La Quinta would be open for business later that year.

Construction did not begin until January 2018, according to Three Rivers Construction Alliance executive director Tom White.

He said that the La Quinta Inn chose not to use any union laborers to build the hotel. Joliet's Local 75 picketed the site at the start of construction in January 2018, White said.

A typical hotel built by union laborers in the Will County area is done in less than a year, White said.

For perspective, union contractors built the new 10-story Will County Courthouse in less than three years. A groundbreaking ceremony involving Will County dignitaries and politicians happened in December 2017, prior to the demolition of the First Midwest Bank building to make way for the courthouse foundation.

The new courthouse opened the first week of November 2020.

White also said that two natural gas power plants under construction using union laborers in Elwood and in Morris will both be done in far less time than it's taking to build the Shorewood La Quinta Inn.

Chapman finishes up as Shorewood's mayor this spring, and there's no guarantee the La Quinta at 19747 Northeast Frontage Road will be ready to open before Chapman leaves office.

In mid-October, Shorewood village administrator Jim Culotta told Patch that it remained unknown to him when La Quinta planned to open in Shorewood.

On Tuesday, Culotta informed Patch that it's his understanding the workers on the La Quinta project are finishing up the inside of the hotel, and no opening date has been announced.

On Jan. 6. 2020, Patch published an article headlined, "Shorewood's La Quinta Hotel Finally Nears Home Stretch."

One year ago this week, Shorewood Building Official John Komorowski told Patch that Shorewood anticipated the hotel will get completed in late spring, or by early summer, at the latest.

Last year, Shorewood welcomed several new construction projects and businesses including the new Aldi grocery store that was built near the Home Depot at Route 59 and Black Road.

Shorewood also welcomed its first Smoothie King, next to the Noodles & Co. restaurant.

The Marshalls clothing store left Joliet's North Ridge Plaza on Larkin Avenue and moved to Shorewood, opening its new store on Route 59 in July near the Mariano's grocery store.

Lots of new businesses, lots of new development for Shorewood, but the La Quinta Inn, that's another story.

The website for La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Shorewood proclaims: "Stay with us in Shorewood. Pet friendly-hotel off I-55 by casinos and Chicagoland Speedway."

LaQuinta's website includes a monthly calendar for people to mark the dates they want to stay at the hotel, however, if you type in a date, the website responds with a message stating, "This hotel is unavailable for the dates selected. Please edit your dates or find hotels nearby."

The hotel is being built next to the Econo Lodge just north of West Jefferson Street.