Joliet's Empty Barrett's Hardware Slapped With 5 City Code Violations, It's A Pathetic Downtown Property

JOLIET, IL — Just in time for the Christmas holiday gift giving season, the city of Joliet has given out five ordinance violation tickets that are prominently displayed on the empty first-floor entrance door for one of downtown Joliet's greatest redevelopment failures: the Barrett's Hardware building at 65 North Ottawa Street.

Joliet Patch's editor, who is in downtown Joliet five days a week, spotted the city's code violations on Friday morning while walking back from the Will County Courthouse.

The code violations are "for failure to abate property code violations." The tickets list the respondent as City Center Hospitality, which has the address of 411 South Larkin Avenue — which is the Clarion Hotel & Convention Center Joliet, right off the Interstate 80 Larkin Avenue exit.

The code violation hearings on the Barrett Hardware will take place at the Joliet City Hall at 1 p.m. on Jan. 27.

"The above violation is a must appear offense. Your presence is required at the hearing. Location and time specified," the ordinance violation notice reads.

Almost seven years ago, January 2019, Joliet Patch reported that Mike Patel, owner of four Joliet hotel properties, had purchased the empty Barrett's Hardware in late 2018.

In late May, Joliet Patch published another unflattering story on the property headlined, "Downtown Joliet's Empty Barrett's Hardware Now A Sad State Of Affairs: Here's Why." In May, giant metal barriers were put in front of Barrett's, prohibiting pedestrians from walking along the sidewalk.

Within days of the Joliet Patch story, the giant metal barriers were removed from the city sidewalks.

In any event, nearly six years ago, the Barrett's Hardware was heralded as the next Springhill Suites by Marriott, an "82 spacious all suites hotel." The Springhill Suites redevelopment project never got off the ground. Just look at the number of boarded-up windows of the four-story building for yourself.

In February, 2020, the Joliet City Council approved the Marriott's redevelopment project. The project's estimated cost was more than $18.6 million. About $17.5 million was considered Tax Increment Finance eligible.

Joliet Patch reported that the Barrett's redevelopment would consist of:

• 2 additional floors to the building to make it a six-story hotel.
• 82 hotel suites
• valet parking
• fitness center
• outdoor patio
• 1,500-square-foot conference room meeting space
• Starbucks Coffee kiosk
• guest laundry
• A first-floor dining outlet in honor of the Barrett's Hardware Store

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Downtown Joliet's Empty Barrett's Hardware Now A Sad State Of Affairs: Here's Why

$18M Marriott Hotel Gets Unanimous City Council Vote

Dangerous Joliet Rock Pile Gets City's Attention

Downtown History: Barrett's Hardware