Built in the 1850s and abandoned in 2002, the Old Joliet Prison is a former correctional facility with a rich history predating the Great Chicago Fire. Made up of over 30 separate buildings, the fortress-like exterior is clad with the locally mined Joliet Limestone. Since the State of Illinois shut down, the facility almost two decades ago, ongoing deterioration and vandalism have resulted in substantial damage to the facility.

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Our team was selected to conduct a condition assessment of the select historically significant buildings. The objective of the assessment was to determine the general condition of the selected building structures and provide recommendations for short-term improvements for stabilization, mitigation of future deterioration, and electrical safety enhancements. Included in the assessment was the Administration Building, East and West Cell Blocks, Chapel, Hospital and the smokestack of the Power House.

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K&H employed a multi-disciplinary approach, engaging structural stability evaluations alongside façade and roofing consulting architects to scrutinize exterior elements like stone, masonry, windows, and roofing of multiple buildings. A comprehensive report detailing findings and stabilization recommendations was formulated, revealing extensive deterioration primarily due to moisture infiltration from deferred maintenance and vandalism. Collapse incidents in floors, stairs, attics, and roofs exacerbated access challenges, prompting the use of UAVs for inaccessible areas. Collaborating with McGuire Engineers for electrical safety enhancements and Berglund Construction for cost estimation, K&H outlined prioritized recommendations spanning immediate, 1-3 year, and 3–5-year periods, advocating temporary roofing, window sealing, shoring, bracing, masonry repairs, and facility partitioning. This report was an essential initial phase toward the future rehabilitation and transformation of the tourist attraction.