Empty St. Mary's Carmelite Church Has New Buyer

JOLIET, IL — Over the past couple weeks, the for sale sign placed in front of downtown Joliet's long-shuttered St. Mary's Carmelite Catholic Church has been missing. Turns out, the sign was not stolen. A new buyer has come forward, Joliet Patch confirmed Monday.

Details of the new property owner's identity weren't immediately available. The old St. Mary's Carmelite property is at 113 N. Ottawa St., near the main branch of the Joliet Public Library.

The previous two owners had proposed renovating the empty church property and the old rectory, known as the Fiat House, into a multi-unit apartment facility. Both projects ultimately failed because neither owner had enough money to make the costly improvements.

In 2018, Patch reported that the vacant St. Mary's church was under the control of Michael Feldman, a Downers Grove resident whose business card identifies him as being part of the KMI Group Inc.

Patch has learned that the person acquiring the property from Feldman may decide to pursue a dining and hospitality venture, perhaps converting the 19th century limestone church into a restaurant and banquet hall geared for wedding receptions and large parties.

It's also possible that St. Mary's Carmelite may be re-utilized for an entertainment purpose, one source indicated. The Joliet church was built during the late 1870s, but the Diocese of Joliet closed St. Mary's Carmelite in 1991.

Last November's building assessment revealed that the vacant church remains in stable condition, although limited maintenance and upkeep has led to "widespread deterioration," city documents note. On the inside, the church and priory remained "in serviceable condition and the ... church could be considered for adaptive use," interim city manager Steve Jones noted at the time.