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Heritage Quarter Destinations outlines Route 66 centennial plans and $3.44M in Will County projects
Summary
Heritage Quarter Destinations updated the Will County Board on Route 66 centennial activities, reporting $5.8 million in grant dollars since FY22 for Route 66 projects statewide and about $3.44 million returning to Will County communities for attractions, signs, benches and EV infrastructure; planning includes events April–November 2026 and Joliet’s designation as an Illinois satellite city for the centennial.
Bob Navaro of Heritage Quarter Destinations briefed the Will County Board on March 19 about tourism programming tied to the Route 66 centennial and county marketing efforts.
Navaro said the bureau represents six counties, employs staff in Joliet, and uses multiple digital and print platforms (including visitwill.com and the First 100 Miles site) to promote Will County destinations. He reported that since fiscal year 2022 the bureau has received a total of $5.8 million in funding for Route 66 projects and that roughly $3.44 million of that total is being invested back into projects in Will County communities such as Joliet, Wilmington and Lockport. Examples Navaro cited include murals, a 20‑foot “tire tower” planned at Chicagoland Speedway, new signage, EV charging stations and a set of artist‑decorated benches funded by a Route 66 grant.
Navaro gave distribution figures for the bureau’s visitor guides (50,000 copies of each upcoming guide) and said visitwill.com drew several thousand site visits in its first months after a fall launch. He also outlined a calendar of centennial programming between April and November, including a Joliet satellite‑city role for Illinois on April 30, a red‑carpet corridor weekend, three 6.6K runs (one in Joliet and two other towns), drone shows on June 26 in Joliet, and a series of documentary screenings and caravan events through the summer and fall.
Members asked for follow‑up details about bench pricing, ADA compliance and coordination with local partners. Navaro said he would provide cost and compliance details to board members and county staff.
Quote: "Of that $5.8 million, $3.44 of it's coming back to projects here in Will County," Navaro said, describing a mix of product development and marketing investments. "We just received the grant agreement last week from DCO," he added (transcript uses the acronym DCO; staff follow‑up is recommended to confirm the agency citation).
What’s next: Navaro offered to supply cost estimates and compliance information for specific projects and to provide materials to county staff for distribution to board members.
