top of page

Bicentennial Bluffs Choice Neighborhood

Choice Team

A key goal of the Choice Neighborhood planning process is to create community connections, enable exchange and identify opportunities for collaboration. The planning process emphasizes continued engagement of stakeholders and community members while building shared leadership, knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas and resources. 

 

The following are the groups involved in this process:

​

  • Planning Team

  • Advisory Committee

  • Community Ambassadors

  • Working Groups

​

​

Planning Team.png

Planning Team

The planning process will be led by the City of Joliet (COJ) in collaboration with the Housing Authority of Joliet (HAJ). The development of the Plan will be overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the planning process will be coordinated by Borderless Studio in collaboration with Collabo Planning and Teska Associates.

 

  • City of Joliet: The City of Joliet is co-leader for this Planning Grant through the Department of Community Development

  • Housing Authority of Joliet (HAJ): HAJ is the co-leader for this Planning Grant and manages the target housing developments.

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): HUD supports the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

  • Consulting Team (Planning Coordination): Borderless Studio, in collaboration with Collabo Planning and Teska Associates, organizes the planning process, and develops approach, methods and tools for and community engagement, and development of the Plan.​

​

Early Action Committee

Early Action Committee members help to advise and steward Early Action Activities—high-impact, visible projects that can be implemented within the first 12–18 months of the planning process. These activities are designed to build community momentum, demonstrate the plan’s vision in tangible ways, and foster trust among residents, partners, and stakeholders. Through collaboration, the committee ensures that Early Action Activities respond to resident priorities, reflect community identity, and lay the groundwork for long-term investment and community-driven development.

​

Community Ambassadors

Community Ambassadors are public housing and community residents dedicated to local engagement and participation. They help by organizing small group meetings, facilitating activities during community meetings, being a resource to communicate with the community, and spreading the word about the Plan process with community members.
 

  • The Planning Team is currently in the process of recruiting Community Ambassadors.
     

Working Groups

Working Groups are organized thematically based on the elements of the Plan (People, Housing, and Neighborhood) to provide input to the development of the project, including the community needs assessment; to define and help achieve the project outcomes; to identify project priorities – where the most energy should be directed; and to monitor the quality of the project as it develops.

​

bottom of page