Jefferson Street Revival: Here's Why Things Look Rosier Each Day

JOLIET, IL — It took a March lawsuit from the city of Joliet to make things happen, but the empty Senor Tequila property on West Jefferson Street was finally torn down — two weeks later.

Then, it remained anybody's guess when the property's owners, Basinger's Pharmacy, would ever build their new pharmacy and a liquor store. Joliet's City Council approved Basinger's redevelopment project five years ago.

In a number of Joliet Patch columns, I have taken Basinger's Pharmacy to task for letting the Senor Tequila property fall into ruins. The property became a popular hangout for the downtrodden; empty beer bottles, beer cans and drug needles were often scattered around the property, notably in the back.

The blighted Senor Tequila hindered economic development in that particular stretch of West Jefferson including the empty Baker's Square restaurant next door.

In January 2020, I wrote a column for Joliet Patch headlined, "More Empty Buildings, Lots Along Jefferson Street."

I'll admit, I didn't have much faith that Basinger's Pharmacy would ever build its new storefront. But what's happened during the past week has changed my outlook.

It all started last Friday when I covered the Smallcakes ribbon-cutting event at 2410 West Jefferson St., another positive boost for Joliet's West Jefferson Street corridor.

The Sept. 24 ribbon-cutting drew several Joliet Chamber officials and city of Joliet economic development director Derek Conley. Inside Smallcakes, I asked Conley about attracting Smallcakes to Joliet and its overall impact on the West Jefferson Street corridor.

"Well, you know about Basinger's Pharmacy, right?" Conley asked me.

I remembered driving past the old Senor Tequila three days earlier when the bulldozed bar remained an empty lot as has been the case since April.

I went to Iowa on Wednesday, and on Thursday, I didn't recall driving by the Senor Tequila lot.

"Go take a look at it," Conley told me Friday during the noon hour. "The walls are already going up."

When I arrived at the former Senor Tequila site, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Pre-fabricated walls were being delivered on flatbed trucks.

The Basinger's Pharmacy was being assembled like a jigsaw puzzle.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, I returned to the site to capture more construction photos. That afternoon, the entire building was practically put together.

What an amazing turn of events. I have to give Basinger's credit. West Jefferson Street's most visible eyesore is no more. A new business storefront stands in its place.

I wondered whether Basinger's Pharmacy would ever get built. Now, I'm thinking the new store could open before Thanksgiving, or by New Year's Day, at the latest.

It's a sign of the times for Joliet.

More and more new businesses are opening along the Jefferson Street corridor. Others are in the works, including the Tony's Fresh Market at the former Kmart site.

Last Friday, I broke the news that Joliet businessman John Bays bought the rundown, empty Aaron's Furniture & Appliances building at 1418 West Jefferson Street.

"It's really a good spot," Bays told me. "I'll tell ya, give me a month, and you won't even recognize this building. I won't have any problem renting this. I just need to clean it up. It needs new windows, a new roof, and I'll asphalt the lot."

On Sept. 30, I snapped a few more photos as the vacant Boston Market restaurant is being remodeled into a Pop's Italian Beef & Sausage featuring a drive-thru window.

After getting off to a slow start, the Pop's project has picked up steam of late and looks like it will be open before the year's end, if not sooner.

July saw the empty Arby's restaurant on Jefferson Street brought back to life as the Amigeaux's Sophisticated Street Food.

June saw the vacant Bob & Sis' Catering building at the corner of Jefferson Street and Midland Avenue transformed into the Smoke Shop Superstore.

Other notable new construction includes the Ohio-based Belle Tire store being built near Menards. There's also plans to build a Smoothie King on the grass lot next to the Murphy's Express.

What will be the next major redevelopment project along Jefferson Street?

Probably the Joliet Off-Track Betting relocation. The OTB is affiliated with the Hawthorne Race Course.

This summer, the Joliet City Council approved plans for the Bookie Magee's Hideaway & OTB to occupy the vacant Hawk Subaru property at 2200 West Jefferson St.

For years, the Joliet Off-Track Betting facility has remained tucked behind the Menards over near the Illinois Secretary of State Driver's License Offices.

"The biggest thing is, people will actually see us now," Hawthorne Racing's John Walsh told me in June when I asked about moving to the former Hawk Subaru.

"It's a nice building that we can modernize. We want to have more of a sports bar feel to it," Walsh said.

No one will ever confuse Joliet's West Jefferson Street with Chicago's Magnificent Mile. After all, in Joliet, there's still pockets of blight here and there. But, Jefferson Street's future is looking rosier every day. Empty storefronts are being filled. New restaurants are opening. Substantial remodeling and new business construction is happening daily.

Even Basinger's Pharmacy is getting in on the action and that's a welcome sight to see.