Working Groups #1: Desired Outcomes (March)

On March 30, we kicked off our first round of Working Groups with three sessions focused on People, Housing, and Neighborhood. We gathered at the Joliet Public Library, Heritage Place, and Bicentennial Park Theater for engaging and productive conversations.

Together, participants shared insights on key gaps, barriers, and needs across the community, while also helping define desired outcomes.

What are Working Groups?

Working Groups aim to be spaces where residents, community partners, local organizations, and public agencies will come together to help shape the future of the Bicentennial Bluffs Planning Area. These small, collaborative meetings focus on key topics: People: Education, Health, Safety, Income & Employment - Housing: Housing types, amenities, and affordability - Neighborhood: Transportation & Mobility, Parks & Recreation, Amenities & Services, Identity & Culture.

These are opportunities to provide feedback, share ideas, discuss strategies, and help guide the development of the Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan. Resident and stakeholder participation will help provide input to the project’s development, including the community needs assessment, identify priorities, define desired outcomes, and offer guidance as the plan evolves, ensuring it reflects the community’s needs, opportunities, and vision for the future.

We’ve come a long way already! Through three community meetings, and the first Working Group session, we have listened, learned, and begun shaping a collective vision with the community while initiating the strategy development process.