Will County plans campus in Joliet to serve veterans

Will County on Thursday announced plans to open a Veteran Assistance and Support Center that would be “the heart of a centralized campus” for veterans.

The support center would be located on the former Silver Cross Hospital campus in Joliet.

The site already has the Joliet VA Clinic, which is affiliated with Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, and Volunteers of America Illinois’ Hope Manor, which provides housing for veterans.

The additional facility combined with the VA Clinic and Hope Manor will create what the county is calling a Veterans Support Campus in a news release announcing the project.

“This unified campus will make it easier for veterans and their families to access wrap-around services,” the county said in the release.

The new project is a joint venture between county government and the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission, an agency that provides support services for veterans.

The county already owns the four-story building at 1300 Copperfield Ave., which had been used for medical offices before Silver Cross Hospital moved to New Lenox.

Renovations to convert the building to it new uses are expected to be completed in early 2026.

The plan is to house the VAC and other veterans organizations in the building.

The VAC, now located in rented space on Glenwood Avenue in Joliet, would be able to expand services in the new building, according to the release.

“This move will be transformational for the VAC and other organizations, creating a single location at the heart of the county for the local veteran community to access their services,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in the release.

The VAC will occupy at least the first two floors of the building, according to the release. Other space would be reserved for agencies that provide services for veterans.

“Expanding our footprint will increase the range of services and programs we can provide as the demand for assistance has steadily risen over the years,” VAC Superintendent Jennifer Solum said in the release. “Our existing space is limited, which has limited our ability to meet this demand. This new facility will allow veterans to interact with local, state, and federal services and resources in a single visit.”

VAC officials said the agency is out of space at its Glenwood Avenue offices and noted that Will County has the third largest veteran population among Illinois counties.

The VAC provides financial assistance to veterans, helps them obtain benefits connected to service in the military, and advocates for individual veterans seeking government services.

The county acquired the 72,000-square-foot building on Copperfield Avenue in 2021. It was built in 2003.