By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Just weeks after the first large scale event at Joliet’s historic prison, the numbers are in, showing the rehab project at the prison has triggered both local interest and the possibility for future profits.
The city’s prison committee met on Monday, Sept 10, getting updates on the future of the old Illinois State Penitentiary, which hosted its first community get together on Aug. 25.
Deputy City Manager and Economic Development Director Steve Jones, along with members of the Joliet Area Historical Society, updated the committee on the results of sales at the Great Joliet Prison Break-In.
The total expenses for the event reached $66,115, with gross income from sponsorships, ticket sales, food and beverage sales, and donations at $202,698. That puts the total revenue from the event at $136,582.
“Since we started this whole process, we’ve always in a position of, what are we going to do. Here is what we did do. We’re actually doing some wonderful things out there and implementation is well underway,” Jones told the committee, adding that the event attracted between 3,000 and 3,500 visitors, with lines for viewing of the cell block and segregation unit lasting up to an hour all the way through 9 p.m. during the event.
“Our whole suspicious was that people would just want to go see this place. Clearly, it’s there. We had the kind of turnout and the kind of enthusiasm that we all expected,” Jones said. “We did this for the fun factor of bringing the community into the prison, but clearly, the fun factor is part of this because we need to find ways with the restoration and the money that is being spent out there is being sustained.”
Jones added that many of the visitors were local, which means there’s potential to earn more cash if they can generate interest outside the region and into the city of Chicago.
Now, the prison is poised to open to future events.
“This thing will become more of a routine, and hopefully we could replicate this as a fundraiser every year,” Jones said. “People drive by this place for a decade not knowing what they could see, and now they can see. To me that’s exciting, because we have so much more potential.”
The site will host a disc golf tournament on Oct. 13 to benefit the historical society’s funds for the site.
The prison was built in 1858 and closed in 2002 when the last of its inmates and most staff were moved to nearby Statesville. After that, the prison fell into a state disrepair, becoming a hot spot for vandals and even suffering through two fires.
Renovations on the outside of the site began in March of 2009, with the revitalization of the parking lot into a public park.
Members of the committee lauded the efforts of staff and volunteers to renovate the site and increase public interest.
“The finances are just great,” said Councilwoman Bettye Gavin. “I was really shocked when I saw the numbers. That is awesome, you guys threw a good party.”
The Joliet Area Historical Museum began the first prison tours on the Tuesday immediately after the Saturday event.
The tours are offered three times per week and have drawn interest from schools and Route 66 visitor groups.
A total of 51 tours are pre-booked through October.
Meanwhile, the committee also discussed site improvements, noting that clean up of the grounds and graffiti removal have vastly improved the condition of the grounds. The state of Illinois has also added some cash into the fund that provides money to the grant that the city uses for condition assessments, meaning the city will have a little more cash to invest in site cleanup and improvements.
Connections for electricity, water and sewer are also being completed at he site. Parts of the property are wired for security lighting and other lighting, but many areas inside the buildings are only lit via generators.
Water and sewer reconnections are also being completed by public works crews. Once utilities are restored to the site, the gift shop and bathrooms can open.
Members of the committee said they plan to be transparent with the funding so the public and donors will know exactly where the funds are and how they are being used.