Joliet YMCA president says decision on future of former Smith facility could come by end of summer

James Watts, the president and CEO of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, said while there is no firm timeline on determining the future of the closed Smith Family facility on Briggs Street, a decision could come by the end of the summer.

“Originally we wanted to close by the end of the year, but it’s moving quicker than we thought,” Watts said.

The YMCA’s Board of Directors decided to close the facility earlier this year citing financial difficulties. The building’s last day of operations was March 26.

Since then, the YMCA has heard from multiple interested parties asking about possibly taking over the approximately 28,000 square-foot building on about 26 acres of land. The YMCA asked for letters of intent from those seriously considering purchasing it, but only received two.

The Will County Board approved a letter of intent at its meeting last month to formally express interest in purchasing the property. Another entity did the same, but Watts said it didn’t want its interest to be made public.

Watts said the YMCA will consider certain criteria for which entity it would like to take over the property, namely what offer would be the best value for the organization. But the YMCA will also consider which proposal best aligns with its mission to serve the local community.

“There’s a lot of need in Joliet and ideally we’d like to see that property and resource go to doing good in Joliet,” Watts said.

County officials presented an outline of their plans for the property in the letter. They intend to convert the building into a food hub to sell fresh products from Will County farmers and build a kitchen which can be used for a food preparation and training program. The bulk of the land would be used to provide homes for unhoused veterans.

The county would also work with multiple community organizations and agencies like the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission and the National Hook-Up of Black Women to provide several types of services for residents.

Officials argued this property would be the most optimal for their intended use because the surrounding area has the county’s highest rates of poverty, limited food access and the highest rates of residents without a high school diploma, so services like job training would be beneficial. Others noted Will County is in need of a more diverse housing stock as the local market is dominated by more expensive, single-family homes, leaving few options for low-income residents.

In addition, officials have repeatedly said the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the need of residents for safe and reliable housing.

Will County Board member Natalie Coleman, D-Plainfield, who is also a veteran, said the proposed takeover of the property would replace the services lost due to the YMCA shutting down the facility.

“I want everyone to consider the long-term impact of having something like this, because the east side of Joliet is a food desert,” Coleman said during last month’s County Board meeting. “I want everyone to think about how far they have to travel to get fresh food.”

Still, several Republican members said they were concerned with how the county didn’t follow its typical process for such large project. Officials who wanted to send a letter said they were under a tight timeframe because of the YMCA’s deadline last month.

“I just don’t like the way this is being rushed and I’m not crazy about the process,” said Will County Board member Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort.

Republicans were also nervous about the YMCA construing the letter as a commitment to a purchase.

Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Phil Mock told board members the county inserted clauses in its letter to ensure their interest in the property was non-binding.

“This isn’t a contract,” Mock said. “It’s basically an offer to make an offer. We’re not anywhere near price or negotiation or anything along those lines.”

The county’s letter of intent said the purchase price for the property is $2.1 million, but officials said the county would have to authorize its own appraisal before actually approving a purchase.

Watts also said there will be a lot of “back and forth” between the YMCA and whichever entity it would like to see take over the Smith facility. He added the organization will do its own due diligence and the final plan will need the YMCA board’s approval.