Jefferson Street, one of Joliet’s busiest commercial corridors, has again been proposed as a site for a cannabis store. (Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia/Gary Middendorf)
Another cannabis dispensary has been proposed for Joliet.
The city now has two cannabis dispensaries and has rejected past proposals to add to that number.
The latest proposal is to move a dispensary into the former NAPA Auto Parts store at 2121 W. Jefferson St.
The building, located next to a Walgreens, was built in 2014 for NAPA, which moved last year into a larger space located nearby, according to a staff report on the proposal.
Veltiste Wellness is seeking a special use permit from the city to allow a cannabis dispensary at the site, according to the staff report.
The Zoning Board of Appeals will consider the proposal when it meets at 2 p.m. Thursday.
A section of Jefferson Street shows the short distances often seen between commercial and residential properties. (Bob Okon)
The Joliet City Council has rejected past attempts to bring cannabis stores to Jefferson Street, a commercial corridor that has been targeted by the industry.
The council in 2023 for a second time rejected attempts to put a cannabis store in a former Bakers Square restaurant located at 2211 W. Jefferson St., only a block away from the location now under consideration.
Cannabis dispensaries have been seeking Jefferson Street locations.
In 2021, the City Council rejected a proposal to reduce the buffer zone between cannabis dispensaries and residential properties. The change was recommended by city staff in light of the number of cannabis dispensaries seeking commercial locations on Jefferson Street, many of which are bordered by residential neighborhoods.
The two cannabis dispensaries in Joliet now are both Rise stores.
One is located on Colorado Avenue in the commercial district surrounding the Louis Joliet Mall. The other is on Rock Creek Boulevard in an industrial park.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Cannabis shop proposed for Joliet on Jefferson Street – The Herald-News
