Future of Our Lady of Angels site in Joliet remains unsettled

The future of the Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home property remains unsettled.

The closing this month of Salem Village Nursing and Rehabilitation marks the second Joliet nursing home to close in the past year. The future use of both properties is unknown.

Our Lady of Angels moved out its last resident in January 2023. The last resident of Salem Village left Feb. 8.

Interior demolition at Our Lady of Angels has begun, said Sister Jeanne Bessette, president of the Joliet Franciscans religious order that opened the nursing home in 1962.

“There will be a process of dismantling it,” Bessette said. “There’s demolition going on that people are not going to see from the streets.”

Demolition fencing now surrounds the facility at 1201 Wyoming Ave.

But Bessette said actual demolition of the building is weeks or months away.

What happens next is not decided.

Bessette said Joliet Catholic Academy, which borders the Our Lady of Angels property, retains the right of first refusal to buy the site.

JCA is eyeing the site for potential expansion of its athletic fields and even construction of a new stadium.

But JCA President and Principal Jeff Budz said no decision has been made, and there is no timetable for that.

“We will explore the option of trying to buy the land,” Budz said.

Budz said JCA still is in “a silent phase” for a fundraising campaign that eventually will be launched to generate money for potential acquisition of the land.

JCA and Our Lady of Angels are more than next-door neighbors.

The Joliet Franciscans founded St. Francis Academy, which merged with Joliet Catholic High School in 1990 to form Joliet Catholic Academy. The merged school is on the site of the former St. Francis Academy. The Joliet Franciscans own the building and the land occupied by JCA.

OLA is one of the longest-standing nursing homes in Joliet along with Salem Village, which is located at 1314 Rowell Ave.

Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty said this week that city officials do not know what Salem Village ownership plans to do with the property.

Salem Village management and its owner would not respond to questions from the Herald-News.