After months of complaints about the condition of Union Station, workers have re-painted all the walls, replaced most of the lighting, fixed leaks and repaired the stairs.
In less than two months, Rich Liebich, the manager at Bicentennial Park, and another worker have targeted Union Station to give it the attention that city officials acknowledge it had been lacking due to funding.
“I just wanted to get in there and fix everything up and then develop a maintenance schedule,” Liebich told the Joliet Land Use Committee on Feb. 15.
In September, Bonnie Horne, a member of the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission, gave a PowerPoint presentation to the Joliet Land Use Committee highlighting the eyesores at the historic station. Among the problems she noted included several burned out lights, benches that need painting, broken pavers along pathways, trash on the ground, missing ceiling panels and dirty bathrooms.
Much of the problems are due to deferred maintenance at the building, Horne said.
Liebich said he’s spent less than $4,000 on materials for the makeover. The bathrooms have been renovated with new sinks and repainted stalls.
Lighting continues to be a problem at the station. Liebich said that the vibration of the trains quickly blows out light bulbs — lasting only four days in some cases — and that he is working to get LED lights that can sustain the vibrations.
Before work began, only 35 percent of all interior and exterior lights were working, Liebich said. Now, about 80 percent of the interior lights are online, while about 60 percent of the exterior lighting is working.
Broken marble stairs have been fixed and the 100-year-old wooden doors have been restrained and re-varnished. Liebich said that salt built-up on the door bottoms had caused problems with closing and that the issue has been resolved.
City officials said the next step is to get bids on new windows for the station. When the weather warms up, Liebich said he also hopes to power wash the exterior and try to resolve the pigeon problem under the bridge.
Union Station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in downtown Joliet and is serviced by two Metra lines and Amtrak.
The station will play a central role in the city’s Regional Multi-Modal Transportation Center. Joliet has been awarded a $32 million state grant for the multi-phase project.
