State, local leaders celebrate new Crest Hill City Center building

Crest Hill is on its third city hall building in more than six decades and the newest building demonstrates how much the city has grown from its humble beginning in 1960.

Crest Hill Mayor Ray Soliman reflected on the city’s history during a ribbon-cutting Saturday to celebrate the City Center at 20600 City Center Boulevard.

Soliman said he remembered how the first building was a two-story family home with City Hall and public works department on the lower level and the police department on the upper level.

“I remember that you needed to climb approximately 30 steps to reach the police department entrance,” Soliman said.

In 1978, the city purchased the old Coca-Cola bottling plant, which was built in the 1940s, at 1610 Plainfield Road, Soliman said. That became the home for the city government for the next 45 years.

As of May 4, the city has been operating at its newest location about a1 1/2 miles away. The location is east of the White Oak Library and north of the Menards store on Weber Road.

“We have come a long way in our 63-year history and we are very proud of our new home,” Soliman said. “My hope is that you are as proud as we are.”

Soliman spoke before a small crowd gathered inside the new City Council chambers. Joining the ribbon-cutting Saturday were council members and several local and state elected officials.

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said the development of the new facility has been “quite a journey” and involved discussions with state officials to secure funding at a time when she was a state senator.

She said Crest Hill’s need for a new building was a “clear public safety issue.”

“I can tell from experience, a project like this is not easy and I applaud state leadership and staff on building a facility that will serve citizens for decades to come,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, said she wanted to point out to everyone what a “beautiful building this is.” But besides being beautiful, the building has better parking than the Plainfield Road location.

“Let’s hear it for the parking out here,” Ventura said, which was met with applause.

State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, whose grandparents lived in Crest Hill, also said she was impressed with the new facility.

“This building is going to shape the future of our city and continue to meet the needs that evolve throughout the years in this community,” Cappel said.