WILMINGTON — The former site of a women’s detention center has remained unused for nearly two decades, but there’s hope that will change.

State Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, is looking into options for the property on Illinois Route 102 at the Kankakee County/Will County line. It is surrounded by Chippewa Campgrounds in the Kankakee River State Park. One of the possibilities is to see the land become part of the park.

Last summer, Joyce said he took Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan on a tour of Mazonia Lakes.

“I asked the director if I could take her on a side trip,” Joyce recalled, adding that work was taking place on the waterline to Chippewa Campgrounds at the time.

“We pulled up; the buildings are covered with overgrowth,” he said. “She seemed interested in exploring options. It was something DNR could look into.”

Joyce stressed that the idea is in the early stages, saying that ownership must first be determined.

“This first phase is just gathering information,” Joyce said. “The next phase would be to sit down and talk to officials from Kankakee County and Will County.”

The property has been used for some storage, and the buildings are in poor shape. In October 2018, two vacant buildings were destroyed in a fire.

According to an Oct. 23, 2018, article in the Daily Journal, firefighters focused on protecting a building used for storage by the IDNR.

The Daily Journal has sought comment from the DNR and Illinois Department of Corrections on a proposed new usage.