Joliet to pay all costs for sidewalk repair outside Tony’s Fresh Market

The city of Joliet plans to spend all $183,000 of the costs for sidewalk repairs outside of the new Tony’s Fresh Market shopping center, a cost that typically is at least shared by the property owner.

The job would go to P.T. Ferro Construction, which was not the original low bidder for the work but got the work under a local bidding ordinance.

The matter, which requires the city to amend its budget to cover the additional spending, is likely to go to the Joliet City Council for a vote when it meets Nov. 1.

The council’s Public Service Committee voted 3-0 last week to recommend approval for the work on damaged sidewalk outside of the business that opened in June.

Committee Chairman Larry Hug at that meeting questioned why the business owner was not splitting the cost of the repairs, which is typically done for sidewalk work in front of houses.

“Why do all residents have to pay but not businesses?” Hug asked.

“A lot of the time the businesses have to pay 100%,” Ruddy said.

Ruddy said the decision for the city to cover the cost was made by the city manager, but it has happened before.

“On major streets, the city has absorbed that cost a lot of times,” he said. “But businesses also have had to pay. This is a one-off.”

Tony’s Fresh Market revived the northwest corner of Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue, one of the city’s busiest intersection, when it redeveloped an empty Kmart for the new supermarket that opened this year and created new space for future business development. The Kmart closed in 2016.

Tony’s received a $3.5 million tax incentive package for the project, reflecting the city’s eagerness to have the site redeveloped.

Hug noted the impact of the project when commenting on the committee’s recommendation for approval of the sidewalk repairs to the full City Council last week.

But he also noted at the committee meeting that some homeowners may have a problem with the arrangement.

“It will be difficult to explain to residents in these hard times,” Hug said. “They have to pay 50%, 80% or 100%, and then they hear a business does not have to pay.”

The low bidder on the project was Davis Concrete Construction at $183,310. But P.T. Ferro, which originally bid $184,590, was allowed to meet the Davis bid and get the contract under the city’s local bidder ordinance. The ordinance allows qualified, local bidders to meet the low bid and get the job if its original bid falls within 2% or $25,000 of a non-local bidder.

Davis, which is located in Monee, could qualify as a local bidder but would have to register in the city program and had not, Ruddy said.

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