Construction of Love's truck stop in Joliet pushed back to spring 2020

Construction of the controversial Love’s Travel Stop in Joliet has been pushed back to the spring.

The new start date is a year after Love’s originally planned to start building the truck stop at Interstate 80 and Briggs Street.

Love's, which faced resistance from neighbors of the site, had planned to open the truck stop late this year after getting approval from a divided City Council.

It’s been a little over a year since the council in October 2018 approved annexation of the site and development plans. But the project was delayed because of challenges in planning for extended utilities and road improvements needed for the development, said Love’s attorney Michael Hansen.

“They won’t be starting construction until spring,” said Hansen, who added that necessary planning for the project now has been completed. “We have everything worked out in terms of roads and utilities and the site.”

Once the project was pushed back from the spring 2019 start date, Love’s looked to start building this fall. Now, all construction has been pushed to spring 2020.

The truck stop then would open later in 2020.

Opposition from the neighbors included a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop construction.

Warren Dorris, a chief plaintiff in the lawsuit and a former Joliet council member, said he believes the lawsuit has had some effect in delaying construction, but no injunction was ever issued by the court.

The lawsuit, he said, has “ been going through a lot of motions.” A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31 in Will County Circuit Court.