Site for new Grundy County Joliet Junior College campus remains under review

Officials who comprise the Grundy Expansion Committee for Joliet Junior College have asked the college to remove a location at Route 6 and Ashton Road, near the Morris Fire Station, from its potential site list.

JJC and an exploratory committee made up of Grundy County-area officials have been working since last year on an expansion into Morris that would bring a new building, although a location has not yet been decided.

The Grundy Expansion Committee is made up of Nancy Norton, president and CEO of the Grundy Economic Development Commission; Julie Wilkinson, business development director for Morris; Morris Mayor Chris Brown; Lance Copes from the Grundy Area Vocational Center; Thomas Dohm, president of Morris Hospital; Sharon Johnson, government affairs manager for Constellation; Mary Kucharz, Grundy County administrator, and Christina Van Yperen, president and CEO of the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce.

Other members of the committee include Dr. Yolanda Farmer, executive vice president; Dr. Amy Gray, vice president of academic affairs; Karen Kissel, vice president of administrative services; and Pat Van Duyne, senior director of facility services.

Kelly Rohder-Tonelli, JJC’s director of strategic engagement, said planning still is active, and nothing has been finalized. She also is serving on the committee.

“When the exploratory committee was kicked off, that included members of the college community,” Rohder-Tonelli said. “I’m on the committee myself, and the members of the Grundy County area. We spent half a day touring many communities in Grundy County, exploring what communities and spaces would be best for this investment. I can tell you we’ve been very thoughtful in determining that Morris is the best place to expand our footprint, and because this is such a big investment, we really want to consider the available parcels.”

The Route 6 and Ashton Road location isn’t the only location that has been discussed, but the committee was clear in a letter to JJC dated Aug. 28 that the site needed to be removed from serious consideration.

“This site was not on or near the committee’s list of recommended locations and poses limitations that will surely impact the success of the facility,” according to the letter, which was signed by each member of the Grundy Expansion Committee. “These concerns have been expressed by members of our group individually and as a committee. Despite this, the college is continuing its due diligence at this location.”

“I can tell you we’ve been very thoughtful in determining that Morris is the best place to expand our footprint, and because this is such a big investment, we really want to consider the available parcels.”

—  Kelly Rohder-Tonelli, JJC’s director of strategic engagement

Norton said the partnership between JJC and the committee is extremely positive, and they’re working together to get the best building and programs possible for the community.

Although the letter also shared concerns over programming, Norton still feels positive about the relationship and the committee’s future with JJC.

“I think the expansion committee would like to see a reevaluation of the programs and sites, but the expansion committee stands ready to partner with JJC to build a successful college expansion here,” Norton said.

Rohder-Tonelli said it’s important for the college to get this expansion right.

“We wanted broad representation from various experts in economic development, health care, local businesses large and small, education, and local government, including city and county officials, to name a few,” Rohder-Tonelli said. “The questions outlined in the letter are part of the ongoing discussion to ensure we get this major investment right. It’s going to take a few iterations and more discussion to do that.”

It’s still early on in the project, and Rohder-Tonelli said there is not yet a target date in mind for announcing a site since there still are many options to vet, present and answer additional questions on.

“There are thousands of students in Grundy County right now that would benefit from this access to education, and that’s why we want to do this, and that’s why we want to make this significant investment in Grundy County and do what we do best, which is providing access to higher education,” Rohder-Tonelli said. “This is a student-centered project, and students are at the center of everything that we do. Every decision that we make is about what’s best for the student.”