Chicago Civil Rights Attorneys Bob Fioretti and Mark Roth join forces with Will County residents in a newly-organized group called “Stop NorthPoint LLC,” with the sole purpose of taking legal action against the City of Joliet to prevent the certain widespread devastation that NorthPoint Development’s trucking warehouses would rage.

“The City of Joliet needs to be held accountable for this warehousing project that negatively impacts the future of not only Joliet but communities throughout Will County,” Fioretti said.

The group, Stop NorthPoint LLC, is an all-volunteer, organization comprised of numerous people, including many with Joliet and Manhattan ties. Founding members include Manhattan resident Ron Adamski, and Manhattan Township resident John Kieken. Joliet native Erin Gallagher is the spokesperson for Stop NorthPoint.

“Mr. Fioretti and his team have been generously working with us pro-bono since before Easter to help ascertain and assist with legal council,” Adamski said. “It is now time for us, residents who oppose NorthPoint, to put our money where our mouth is and start raising funds for a proper legal attack.”

In April, the Joliet City Council and Mayor Bob O’Dekirk forced a public hearing despite the quarantine followed by a vote to approve a deliberately vague and highly unusual pre-annexation agreement. The project, which will span nearly five times the size of Midway Airport in its first phase, has been opposed by numerous Joliet neighborhood associations, faith leaders, area school districts, and neighboring municipalities. Strong opposition has come from the Will County Sheriff’s Department Fraternal Order of Police Union, Will County Executive Larry Walsh, and several state legislators and Will County Board members.

Due to the trucking warehouses’ proximity ¼-mile to the entrance of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, countless veterans and veteran groups have joined the Joliet Stone City VFW Post in full-throated opposition against NorthPoint’s trucking warehouses.

Stop NorthPoint is not affiliated with any organization, group or political party. It has evolved out of the powerful No to NorthPoint movement exclusively to take the fight to the next level, which requires fundraising for proper legal fund. None of Stop NorthPoint’s co-founders, members, managers or spokespersons will receive any compensation whatsoever for their participation. All funds raised are earmarked for legal services.

“Many of us have been offering our professional services pro-bono over the past three years in an effort to stop NorthPoint,” said Kieken, owner and engineer of Website Setup Dot Net. “Formulating this non-profit legal fund made sense because the rest of us have been putting in our own time and money already.”

Under the direction of Fioretti, Stop NorthPoint intends to take legal action against the City of Joliet.

“We have every intention and belief that we can stop this project in a court of law,” Roth said. “What Joliet is allowing is egregious, and amounts to nothing better than scorched earth for Joliet and everyone around Joliet.”

Fioretti and Stop NorthPoint intend to work in collaboration with other attorneys and their clients who have already taken legal steps against Joliet and NorthPoint, not only to strengthen overall opposition but also to avoid unnecessarily redundant efforts.

Donations can be made directly to the Stop NorthPoint movement via the website www.StopNorthPoint.com. For more information about ways to contribute, contact Erin Gallagher at 815-641-7760 cell or [email protected]. Biographies of the Stop NorthPoint Board of Directors and advisory board will be made available on www.StopNorthPoint.com. Check back to the site for updates.

Press Release Erin Gallagher