Old Joliet Prison Prison East Lease & Redevelopment
REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF REDEVELOPMENT INTEREST
CITY OF JOLIET October 31, 2018
SECTION 1 – Summary
1.1 Overview
The City of Joliet, IL is seeking interest from qualified business entities for the redevelopment and operation of commercial activities at a portion of the Old Joliet Prison (Prison East) located at 401 Woodruff Road. The subject facility is commonly known as the former Joliet Women’s Prison.
This property offers a tremendous opportunity for a unique and iconic property to be repurposed. It also poses challenges with regard to the expenses involved in such an undertaking.
In December, 2017 the City of Joliet entered into an agreement with the State of Illinois authorizing local use and control of the former Joliet Correctional Center. The agreement extends until December, 2022. It is anticipated that the City will acquire future ownership of the site, or obtain a long-term extension of our agreement to foster redevelopment and restoration of the campus for public and commercial uses.
1.2 The Property
The Prison Campus consists of three separate components that are described below and illustrated on the aerial photo identified as Exhibit 1. Joliet Prison is well known for its depiction in movies (The Blues Brothers, Natural Born Killers, Public Enemies, Let’s Go to Prison, Weeds) and in television (Prison Break, Empire, The Untouchables). The State of Illinois ceased prison operations in 2002, and the property has remained vacant since that time. The subject of this solicitation is limited to Prison East. A description of all components is provided below for a full understanding of the City’s vision for the entire Prison Campus.
Prison East. The Prison East component consists of a structure that was erected in 1896, with subsequent additions. The prison was originally constructed to house female prisoners, but later housed male prisoners when women were relocated to other institutions in the 1930’s. It’s most recent purpose was to house prisoners designated as sex offenders. The City envisions this structure as having potential to serve as an entertainment complex capitalizing upon the prison theme. Suggested uses have included a haunted house, laser tag, escape rooms, restaurant, prison lodging, distillery, winery, microbrewery, office space, etc. Over 320 paved parking spaces serve the prison campus with the ability to add approximately 300 spaces adjacent to Prison East.
Due to the size of the structure there is capacity to incorporate multiple future uses. Over 60,000 SF is available within Prison East. The City will consider all potential uses that would complement the overall prison campus vision.
Prison West. The iconic administration building, guard towers, prison walls, original cell blocks and ancillary structures are located within Prison West. General prison tours have been underway at this location since August and are sold out for the season, paranormal
tours began in October and are presently underway, and a large concert fund raising event occurred within Prison West. Additional concert activity is anticipated for 2019. The City has a partnership agreement with the Joliet Area Historical Museum to manage Prison West. Operation and future uses of Prison West are envisioned to be oriented towards tourism, education, concerts, entertainment, arts, and possible low impact commercial uses.
Open Space. Two quarry lakes and a forested area are located adjacent to Prison East. This property holds tremendous recreational potential and is envisioned for trails, fishing access, recreational fields and general open space. Efforts are presently underway for an ownership transfer of over 110 acres to the Will County Forest Preserve.
1.3 Prison East Structure.
The structure will require renovation in order to achieve occupancy. Representative interior and exterior photos are included as EXHIBIT 2. This request for development interest anticipates the successful firm will be responsible for significant improvements that will remain with the property. However, we also anticipate negotiating a long-term lease agreement that would provide a length of time sufficient for a reasonable return on investment.
The property was previously under a one year contract with a private party who was intending to operate a haunted house and other ancillary entertainment uses. The City acknowledged that a one year contract was not sufficient to justify the level of investment necessary to meet the needs of the City in redeveloping this structure. As a result, this request for development interest has been prepared to provide a mechanism to foster a longer term return on investment to justify greater levels of private sector investment.
The City will utilize a multi-step process to select a redeveloper for the property. The process phases are noted below:
Phase I – Identification of Interested Parties Phase II – Interview & Selection of Finalists Phase III – Solicitation of Formal Proposals from Finalists Phase IV – Negotiation of Agreement with Successful Firm
The firm(s) selected to proceed to phase IV must be prepared to enter into a lease-redevelopment agreement with the City, provide proprietary financial information to demonstrate the capacity to successfully redevelop and operate the facility in accordance with the submitted proposal, and to provide a performance bond to insure compliance with the submitted proposal. The final agreement will specify City and lessee obligations in the implementation of the development project.
SECTION 2 – Building Familiarity
2.1 Building Access Familiarity with the building interior/exterior is required prior to submitting a statement of development interest. If the City does not have a record that you toured the building, such a tour must be arranged. Building access shall be arranged with Steve Jones, Economic Development Director at (815) 724-3734 or via [email protected].
SECTION 3 – Submittal Requirements
All respondents are required to provide the information requested for items 3.1 – 3.4 as follows:
3.1 Respondent Qualifications A cover letter shall be submitted indicating interest, commitment and project understanding. The respondent shall identify the redevelopment team and identify similar or relevant projects undertaken that will demonstrate the ability to successfully complete this project.
3.2 Building Uses & Improvements Narrative Describing Building Use. Assuming a long-term lease was approved with your firm, tell us in detail the type of operations you envision and an overview of the necessary physical improvements you would undertake to occupy the building.
Narrative Describing Use of Exterior. Tell us if you have any anticipated use of the exterior of the building.
BE CREATIVE. This is your opportunity to demonstrate the nature of your plan for the property and how this would foster the sustainability of the overall prison campus.
3.3 Project Schedule Provide a project schedule anticipated for all redevelopment phases of the building described in your vision. For purposes of estimation, assume a lease and redevelopment agreement with the City is executed on February 1, 2019.
3.4 Project Ownership & Certification Complete the form attached as Exhibit 3 to identify firm ownership and any partnership arrangements that would be envisioned for redevelopment of the property.
SECTION 4 – Evaluation Process
4.1 Review Criteria
All statements of developer interest will be evaluated utilizing the following criteria:
Demonstrated understanding of the City request. Respondent’s vision for use of the property, and the value this vision will create for the City. Firm’s likelihood of success based upon operational experience, and qualified redevelopment team. Creativity and specific use(s) proposed for building. Schedule for completing redevelopment of property.
SECTION 5 – Submittal Guidelines, Questions & Deadline
5.1 Proprietary Information. All proposals and related materials become the property of the City of Joliet and may be subject to public inspection in accordance with the State of Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Proprietary trade secrets and/or financial information submitted shall not be publicly disclosed under the State of Illinois FOIA. If applicable, applicant should indicate the portions of their material that is proprietary. Do not mark the whole proposal proprietary.
5.2 Questions & Property Tours. All property tours and questions regarding the property will have a cutoff date of Friday, December 7, 2018. If you have any questions, seek a property tour, or require additional assistance in the completion of the submittal, such communication shall be directed to Steve Jones, Economic Development Director at (815) 724-3734 or via [email protected].
5.3 Submittal Instructions One physical copy of the submittal shall be provided to the City, along with a digital version via thumb drive or disk. All proposals shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope identifying the name of the individual/firm submitting a response, and be clearly be marked with the phrase “PRISON EAST DEVELOPMENT INTEREST – 401 WOODRUFF, DUE DECEMBER 14, 2018.” Submittals are due no later than 3:00 PM on December 14, 2018 and shall be directed to:
Office of the City Clerk City of Joliet 150 West Jefferson Street Joliet, IL 60432-4158
EXHIBIT 1 Old Joliet Prison Campus – Aerial View
EXHIBIT 2 401 Woodruff – Building Photos
EXHIBIT 3 Ownership & Certification 401 Woodruff – Statement of Development Interest
The Respondent is a: ______Corporation ______Partnership ______Limited Liability Company ______Sole Proprietorship ______Other (please explain :______)
Name______
Address______
City/State/Zip Code______
Office Phone: ______
Mobile Phone: ______
Email address: ______
I certify and attest that the information submitted in this submittal is true and accurate.
______Printed Name
______Title
______Signature
______Date