Bays Gets Joliet Parking Deck: 'It's Going To Be A Lot Better'

JOLIET, IL — Now that the Joliet City Council has voted to sell the city's Scott Street parking deck to John Bays, the long-time Joliet businessman who owns about 10 downtown buildings promises to get started immediately on making significant improvements to the 1970s-era concrete parking deck.

It's been six years since city-hired engineering consultants analyzed the Scott Street parking deck and determined it needed nearly $1 million in improvements.

Joliet's new city manager Jim Capparelli said the city does not have the roughly $1 million available to fund the upgrades, which is why Capparelli urged the Council to sell the property to Bays, who is the city's leading investor in commercial property.

At Tuesday night's meeting, the vote was 5-3 in favor of the sale.

Council members Jan Quillman, Larry Hug, Bettye Gavin, Terry Morris and newly elected Joe Clement supported the sale. The three no votes came from Pat Mudron, Sherri Reardon and newly elected Cesar Guerrero.

Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk did not have to vote, but he has previously announced his support for the proposal. Bays has agreed to pay the city $151,000 for the parking garage, and Bays will now be responsible for any and all improvements to the property.

"I knew Reardon and Mudron were going to vote no because they don't like the mayor, but it went through, and I'm excited," Bays told Joliet Patch during an interview Wednesday at the Bays Premier Building where Bays is now renovating the second level of that building.

"We had five to three, and the mayor didn't even have to vote," Bays said.

There has been some question about how many parking stalls are inside the Scott Street parking deck. Bays said the city believed it has 340, but a couple other people suggested it has 390 or 400.

The city parking deck was built during the 1970s. Even though Joliet agreed to sell the Scott Street garage on Tuesday night, Joliet has no plans to sell off the Ottawa Street parking garage, which is much larger and closer to the Will County Courthouse as well as the Rialto.

Looking back at Tuesday night's vote, Bays said he was especially appreciative of the comments made by Councilman Terry Morris and Councilwoman Bettye Gavin.

Both elected officials spoke highly of Bays and the many redevelopment projects he has undertaken around Joliet over the past several years.

"You know, I hate selling city assets, but in my investigation and speaking with staff, then also speaking with you, sir, I know your passion for this city," Gavin remarked to Bays during the meeting. "I understand that you're putting blood, sweat and tears and coins into this city and I certainly appreciate that ... so I thank you for reaching out, and I'm going to vote yes."

One Joliet resident, Bob Hernandez, addressed the Council prior to the vote. Hernandez asked his elected officials to reject the sale of the Scott Street parking deck to Bays.

"This process should be an open bidding process," Hernandez urged the Council. "It should not be just given to Mr. Bays for him to buy at his pleasure."

However, city officials said they spent the past several weeks trying to solicit other investors to make an offer to buy the parking deck, but nobody came forward.

"For me to keep bringing people downtown, I need more parking to move more companies downtown," Bays told Joliet Patch during Wednesday's interview. "Secondly, the deck needs a lot of repairs, and I need to fix it and put in an automated system."

Bays' two latest downtown Joliet property acquisitions have been the six-story Two Rialto Square Building next to the Rialto Square Theater and the Premier Building near the Jackson Street Bridge across from the Catrina's Mex restaurant.

Some of his other notable properties in downtown Joliet include the state of Illinois building on North Chicago Street, the Pioneer Building near the Will County Courthouse, the Bays Professional Centre on Cass Street and the First Midwest Bank property on North Chicago Street.

Overall, Bays said he has more than 400,000-square-feet of professional office space in downtown Joliet. In total, Bays said he has 1.2 million-square-feet of professional office space across the entire city of Joliet.

People who use the Scott Street parking deck won't notice any major changes even though the ownership of the property will be transferred from the city of Joliet to Bays, he said.

On the top level of the parking garage, Bays said he will soon construct 20 car garages with doors. These will be for his future tenants who will be renting the loft apartments that are being constructed on the fifth and sixth floors of the Two Rialto Square Building, less than a block away.

When will the improvements get underway to modernize the Scott Street parking garage?

"Twenty-four hours after I close on the property, I'm ready to start working," Bays said.

"It's going to be a lot better, and the price will remain the same," he added.