Plans ahead for old Joliet steel mill site?

Joliet is close to announcing plans for the old U.S. Steel mill site on Collins Street, officials said.

City officials for years have been trying to urge some sort of redevelopment for the 54-acre site that has been idle for decades, except for occasional break-ins into unused industrial buildings.

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said an announcement for the property should be coming out in a matter of days.

He would would not provide details other than to say that the future use involves “green energy.”

“This is something we have been working on,” O’Dekirk said. “The governor’s office was involved with it.”

O’Dekirk said he and City Manager James Capparelli recently made a trip to Pittsburgh, the location of U.S. Steel corporate headquarters.

Capparelli at the Tuesday meeting of the Joliet City Council said he had hoped to make an announcement that night about a development, but it was tied up in real estate proceedings.

O’Dekirk followed up Capparelli’s comments to remark on the trip to Pittsburgh.

“I believe we’re going to have good news to report on that in the very near future,” O’Dekirk said at the meeting. “It’s something our city has pursued for many, many years.”

The mayor confirmed later that his comments concerned the U.S. Steel site.

City officials have talked with potential developers about the site at least as far back as 2012.

At that time, then-Mayor Thomas Giarrante said a developer was interested in the property. But U.S. Steel still needed to complete an environmental cleanup plan.

The city in 2012 had hired Urban Land Institute Chicago to develop a report on potential uses for U.S. Steel and the Joliet Correctional Center, both of which were large abandoned sites on Collins Street.

The city in 2017 took out a lease on the prison, which is just north of the U.S. Steel site, and has opened it up for tours and events. Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi performed there last month in a Blues Brothers act that was part of a two-day event at what is now called the Old Joliet Prison.

The city has continued to pursue redevelopment of the steel mill property.

“Over the years I know there have been other offers, and for whatever reasons they (U.S. Steel) weren’t willing to move on them,” O’Dekirk said. “I think everyone’s encouraged about the potential uses.”

A benchmark moment was achieved last year when U.S. Steel agreed to take action to preserve the familiar limestone office building at 927 Collins St. The structure was built between 1886 and 1891. Landmarks Illinois had placed it on its 2021 list of “Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois.”