Sale Of Joliet Parking Deck To John Bays Ready For Vote

JOLIET, IL— After delaying the matter for several weeks, the Joliet City Council is finally ready to take a vote on whether to sell the city of Joliet's Scott Street public parking deck to Joliet businessman John Bays.

The proposal calls for Bays purchasing the downtown parking garage for $151,000.

Once the sale is approved, Bays, not the taxpayers of Joliet, will then be responsible for the costly upgrades and improvements that are necessary to modernize the public parking garage.

A 2015 consultant study determined that the Scott Street parking deck was in need of major repairs and security upgrades that would cost the city at least $915,000.

New Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli has said the city does not have that type of money available to be spending on renovating a city parking garage such as the Scott Street parking deck.

Capparelli is in favor of getting rid of the Scott Street parking deck and having someone like Bays, who is the city's premier commercial investor in downtown Joliet, take over the property.

Bays has said the parking deck would be ideal for him since he now owns the Two Rialto Square Building at the corner of Clinton and North Chicago Streets.

Bays Investments is currently converting the top two floors of the Two Rialto Square Building into high-end loft apartments.