The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet has changed its main entrance because of sidewalk work outside its usual front doors on Chicago Street.

Theater-goers for the month of February will use the Van Buren Street entrance, the Rialto said in a news release.

The Rialto box office, too, has been moved to 15 E. Van Buren St., which is located around the block from the usual entrance, for the duration of the construction. Signs will be used to guide theater-goers. The Rialto will maintain regular box office hours of noon to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays at the new entrance.

The Rialto encouraged patrons with questions about the temporary entrance to call the theater at 815-726-7171.

The city of Joliet is doing construction work on underground vaults, structures that are throwbacks to a previous era when the vaults were used for the delivery of coal used to heat buildings. The Rialto was built in 1926, and other buildings downtown date back to the 1800s.

The sidewalk work is part of an overall improvement project that will redesign Chicago Street and create a city square across from the Rialto.

Closing the main entrance to the Rialto is one example of the impact that the improvements will have on downtown businesses.

Joliet has created a financial assistance program for downtown businesses aimed at getting them through financial hardships caused by the Chicago Street project and water main replacements taking place downtown.

The Business Interruption Program will provide up to $5,000 in rental assistance for up to three months for an individual business. The business is required to show a 15% loss of revenue attributed to city construction. For the business to be eligible, the landlord also must participate and agree to forgive 50% of the rent.

Money for the program comes from a special tax assessed to downtown property owners and a Tax Increment Financing District that redirects a portion of downtown property taxes for the use of supporting the business district.