Joliet likes its prospects for Union Station banquet hall

JOLIET – City officials believe they can keep the banquet hall at Union Station open when Bussean Custom Caterers leaves in January.

A request for qualifications mailed out to banquet operators throughout the Chicago region attracted three very good prospects, said Joliet Economic Development Director Steve Jones.

“I think we can describe them as top-shelf candidates that will maintain and even enhance what is there now,” Jones said.

The three potential banquet operators are not being named. They would still need to submit proposals to be reviewed by the city before one is selected.

But Jones said he believes a committee reviewing the prospects will be able to present a recommendation to the City Council for approval by August.

That should leave plenty of time for the future operator to move in as Bussean moves out, so the Union Station banquet facility does not have to close during the transition, Jones said.

All three prospects have solid banquet experience, Jones said. One is in Joliet, another is outside the city but in Will County and the third is a Chicago metropolitan business.

The city sent 70 requests for qualifications to banquet businesses throughout the Chicago area. Jones said he would have liked to have seen more responses but was not disappointed because of the type of companies that are interested.

“I think the quality of what we got indicates it’s a quality space,” he said. “It all comes down to the quality that you get.”

Councilman Larry Hug, who heads the council’s Economic Development Committee, said he was pleased with the companies interested in taking over the Union Station operation.

“They’re all quality. We can’t lose with any of them,” Hug said.

Bussean has operated the Grand Ballroom at the old train station since 2001, but notified the city earlier this year of his plans to leave in January.