Will County completes major projects while others move forward

Will County’s facilities team has completed several major projects while advancing others throughout the county, officials reported during a Capital Improvements & IT Committee meeting Monday.

The Old Courthouse Plaza concrete replacement project at 14 W. Jefferson has been finished, with new picnic benches installed and the area fully restored with handicap-accessible ramps meeting current ADA standards, according to Facilities Director Bill Fern.

“The plaza is completely usable again, safe level, all new concrete, all handicap ramps all been replaced,” Fern told committee members during his monthly facilities update.

The county has also completed parking lot resurfacing at both the Community Health Center and River Valley Juvenile Detention Center. The River Valley project addressed serious deterioration issues and brought handicap ramps up to current ADA compliance standards after the original construction was determined to be too steep by today’s requirements.

“That parking lot was in serious need of resurfacing,” Fern said. “The handicap ramps, the ADA accessible areas when they built it were too steep to today’s standards, so now they are all compliant.”

Work continues on several other major projects across county properties. The Court Annex/State’s Attorney Level 2 renovations at 57 N. Ottawa are scheduled to begin construction July 10 following bid openings set for June 4. The project, which involves combining unused courtrooms on the second and third floors to create more usable space, is expected to be completed by fall 2025.

Similarly, Land Use/Public Defender renovations at 58 E. Clinton are progressing with Level 3 complete and Level 4 work beginning June 16. That project is also slated for completion in August.

The Veterans Assistance Commission buildout at 1300 Copperfield has reached several milestones, with roof replacement 95% complete and both glass replacement and interior renovations set to begin June 9. The project involves UV-coated, double-pane glass replacement and is expected to wrap up in fall 2025.

Committee Chair Mica Freeman noted the county is expecting facility assessment reports by month’s end that will merge facility condition evaluations with space needs analysis. The comprehensive assessment covers 75% of county-owned properties, with the largest facilities – Adult Detention Facility and River Valley – nearing completion of their evaluations.

Fern reported his team handled over 760 work orders in May, completing them with 98% on-time performance at an average cost of $19.75 per work order. The facilities team logged more than 800 hours of labor during the month.

“The team is really moving,” Fern said, highlighting the department’s productivity while maintaining zero workplace injuries – a safety record Committee member Herbert Brooks Jr. praised as worthy of celebration.

The committee also addressed ongoing courthouse issues, with scaffolding removal underway as stone replacement work continues. Water infiltration behind limestone panels caused damage when freezing temperatures expanded the moisture, pushing stones outward. Sixteen new quarried limestone pieces are being manufactured for replacement, with installation planned using swing stages rather than scaffolding.

A facilities report from material specialists examining the courthouse damage is expected by the end of next week, providing definitive analysis of the stone failure and remediation efforts.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for July 1.