Dick’s House of Sport plans to open in Joliet by fall 2027 after the City Council on Tuesday approved a $37 million incentive deal aimed at creating a new retail district.

The Dick’s deal is designed to open the door to dozens of stores and restaurants moving into the Rock Run Collection development at Interstates 55 and 80.

“We’ve seen other retailers say, ‘If you have a Dick’s House of Sport, I’m in.’ It’s that special,” Vincent Corno, senior vice president of real estate for Dick’s told the council before its vote.

More than a sporting goods store, the House of Sports concept creates a recreation center with such features as a playing field, climbing wall, golf cage, and skating rink.

“It’s not like anything you’ve seen before,” Corno told the council.

Developer Cullinan Properties says it can bring 50 more stores and restaurants to its Rock Run Collection with the Dick’s deal done.

“We’ll shape Joliet’s economic future,” Cullinan Chief Strategy Officer Maria Toliopoulos told the council.

She said the retail development will make Rock Run Collection “a nationally recognized, super-regional destination.”

The city will issue $37 million in general obligation bonds to help finance the development of the 120,000-square-foot Dick’s House of Sport and another 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Construction of Dick’s and other stores will start this summer, according to city officials.

Cosmo confirmed the summer construction and said the Dick’s House of Sport is scheduled to be open by back-to-school time in 2027.

City officials expect most of the other retail space to be occupied and doing business by 2028.

The Joliet location is one of three Dick’s House of Sport under development in the Chicago region. Others are planned for Schaumburg and Orland Park at the sites of existing Dick’s Sporting Goods stores.

Corno said the Joliet store “will be a crown jewel. It will be exactly what we want because it’s going to be built from the ground up.”

Cullinan has not named any other retailers for the site.

Toliopoulos said Cullinan has lease agreements that are contingent upon the Dick’s deal being made with the city.

Some of those stores may come out of the city’s current central retail district around the Louis Joliet Mall.

Dick’s Sporting Goods now has a store at a shopping center in that area.

Corno said the company has not decided what to do with that location but it could become a clearance store for merchandise coming out of the new store in Rock Run Collection.

Toliopoulos when questioned by Shaw Local said some of the stores coming to Rock Run Collection now do business in Joliet.

But, she said, some of those stores were looking to leave Joliet, and others want a second location in town.

“We have a lot of new concepts,” Toliopoulos said, noting many of the prospective stores and restaurants will be new to Joliet.

“We have some that are looking to leave Louis Joliet Mall regardless of what we’re doing, so we’re providing them an opportunity to stay in Joliet,” Toliopoulos said. “We also have infill opportunities for stores with existing locations.”

Dick’s Sporting Goods was looking to leave Joliet before representatives from the city and Cullinan urged the retailer to consider moving into Rock Run Collection, Mayor Terry D’Arcy said.

Both D’Arcy and Corno mentioned the meeting at a trailer.

“The collaboration that has put this together is something I’ve never seen before,” D’Arcy said at the council meeting.

D’Arcy said 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will be developed in the next 18 months and increase the city’s potential as a destination point.

“We’re going to be a regional draw for everyone,” D’Arcy said.

Finance Director Kevin Sing said the incentive package is set up so that Cullinan only gets money as stores and restaurants open for business.

The city will issue $37 million in general obligation bonds to help finance the retail development. The plan is to pay off the bonds with tax revenue collected from the stores and restaurants.

The new issue comes on top of $102.5 million in general obligation bonds that the city issued in 2022 to help finance development of Rock Run Collection.

The city at the time authorized up to $105 million in bonds. Sing said the amount actually issued was $102.5 million.

Sing said the city is better protected under the new bond issue because Cullinan only gets money as stores and restaurants open and begin generating tax revenue for the city.

“It’s expected to be 90% open by 2028,” Sing said.

He said the city expects Cullinan Properties to generate enough tax revenue to pay off the bonds by 2044 and another $237 million in additional tax revenue for the city at that point.

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