Joliet says it can't guarantee Union Station ballroom for dates past January

JOLIET – City officials say they will try – but cannot guarantee it – to make The Grand Ballroom at Union Station available for any brides-to-be who have already scheduled wedding receptions there past January.

The banquet facility currently is operated by Bussean Custom Caters, which has notified the city that it plans to leave in mid-January.

Owner Jeffrey Bussean did not return calls to comment on how many weddings may be scheduled for Union Station past his planned departure date. But city officials said they have heard from one future bride who has a wedding scheduled for April 2017.

Joliet Economic Development Director Steve Jones said Bussean offered to move that reception to his Patrick Haley Mansion in Joliet or to provide a refund.

“A new vendor could possibly negotiate something to keep that [Union Station reception] date alive,” Jones said. “But there’s no guarantee that we’re going to have somebody in April 2017.”

Joliet wants to have another banquet operator ready to move in when Bussean moves out. The city is working to find a new banquet operator but still is in the process of putting together a request for proposals. Councilman Larry Hug said the city is considering allowing other caterers to take over weddings already scheduled past January. He said city officials did not know when Bussean gave notice that he had weddings scheduled past mid-January.

“We’ll do our best to provide the facility,” Hug said.

Hug encouraged brides with wedding dates past mid-January to work out something with Bussean.

So did Jones.

“Bussean is the guy, and he’s the one making arrangements and commitments,” Jones said. “I think what Bussean is doing is he’s making people aware that he’s planning on leaving in January.”

According to Jones, Bussean will continue to operate Patrick Haley Mansion and a banquet facility he has in Alsip. But Bussean told city officials he wants to scale back at Union Station as he develops another facility in Wayne, Jones said.

The timing for finding a new banquet operator is somewhat dependent on Bussean right now. Jones said the city has provided its request for proposals to Bussean’s business for review in case the organization has any suggestions.

“They’re in the process of reviewing it for us,” said Jones.

Once Bussean is done, he said, the city will send the request out to banquet operators and related companies throughout the Chicago area based on a list that is being developed.