Starbucks, Mexican Restaurant And Mystery Tenant To Build In Joliet

JOLIET — For many Joliet residents, April 10, 2023, will be remembered as one of their favorite days in recent memory. Why that date, you ask? That was when Joliet's new Olive Garden restaurant opened, bringing delicious, family-style, Italian cuisine to the citizens of Joliet.

Now, two years later, more development continues to happen at The Boulevards, the redevelopment of the former Skelly Restaurant and truck stop that occupied Route 30 and overlooked Interstate 55. In addition to the Olive Garden and the Costco, Plainfield just confirmed that plans are underway to build a Cooper's Hawk within The Boulevards.

On Thursday, Joliet Patch learned that the Cooper's Hawk is not the only restaurant project that will take place at The Boulevards in 2025. The Joliet City Council will vote at Tuesday night's meeting on a special use permit to allow for Starbucks to construct a drive-thru lane and window within The Boulevards.

Part of The Boulevards are within Plainfield's boundaries, while the portion closer to Plainfield Road is within Joliet's jurisdiction.

According to the memo from Joliet Public Works Director Greg Ruddy:

On December 9, his department received a request for a drive-thru facility for a proposed Starbucks Restaurant at 16301 Boulevard Place, Unit 101. The project calls for construction of a new 8,702 square foot building with three tenants on Lot 8 within the Boulevard Subdivision. The Starbucks will be on the west end of the new building and will include a drive-thru window.

"Access to the site will be available from various private drive aisles within the subdivision. Upon final investigation, the Department of Public Works has determined that there is sufficient vehicle storage on the site and therefore recommends approval of the drive-thru permit subject to approval of the final engineering plan," Ruddy wrote his City Council.

According to a letter sent to Joliet on Dec. 9, 55/30 Acquisition, LLC has proposed that the multi-tenant building would include a 4,500 square foot Mexican restaurant, a 1,662 square foot retail/restaurant tenant and a 2,540 square foot Starbucks with a drive-thru window and drive thru and bypass lanes.

Additional access to the outlot shall be from the Costco common drive. A total of 137 parking stalls are provided on the 2.67-acre outlot, which equates to 15.75 parking stalls per 1,000 square feet of gross leasable area, the developers advised Joliet, city of Joliet reports show.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Olive Garden Reveals Opening Date For 'Joliet-Plainfeld' Restaurant