Joliet plans to pave over Union Station plaza

JOLIET – Brick pavers, trees and a statue honoring renowned dancer Katherine Dunham will be removed from the front of Union Station to accommodate a new brewpub, according to a plan that goes to the city council on Tuesday.

The council is slated to vote on a $178,000 contract to pave over the Union Station plaza with decorative concrete to accommodate the MyGrain brewpub and restaurant that is expected to open by July.

The council’s Public Service Committee gave its OK to the contract on Monday.

The concrete will be stamped and stained, City Manager Jim Hock told the committee.

The changes are needed to accommodate trucks going to and from the future brewpub, Hock said.

“They’re going to be not only delivering grain but picking up cans of beer,” he said.

MyGrain plans to distribute canned beer brewed at its Union Station location to retailers, as well as sell beer to customers at the brewpub.

Hock said it may be possible to bring back some landscaping once the brewpub is operating and the city can determine whether potted trees or plants can be located in spots that do not interfere with trucks.

The plaza now is lined with brick pavers, some of which have become discolored and deteriorated with age.

One feature that will be removed is an area that includes trees, plants and a small statue honoring the late Katherine Dunham, who spent her school-age years in Joliet and is regarded as one of the great dancers of the 20th century as well as an innovator in African-American modern dance.

A placard in front of the statue notes that Dunham studied dance at Joliet Township High School and Joliet Junior College.

Joliet Engineering Supervisor Scott Gapsevich said trucks will need to use the front turnaround area at the station for deliveries because they cannot stop on Jefferson Street, which is the alternative entry point to the brewpub.

The two-level plaza also will be changed to one level to facilitate deliveries.

The city received one bid on the project from Semper Fi Land Service Inc. for $178,421. The city’s cost estimate for the job was $172,443.