John Bays' Greatest Achievement? Bays Tower Opens In Joliet To Huge Waiting List

JOLIET, IL — One year after John Bays purchased the vacant 13-story Murphy Building in downtown Joliet from the Joliet Housing Authority, Bays has completed extensive renovations and started moving in his first group of tenants — at the newly renamed Bays Tower Apartments.

Bays Tower is at 311 N. Ottawa Street, near the Jackson Street Bridge in downtown Joliet. Bays said he reached an agreement with the city of Joliet to allow tenants to park at the city's Riverwall Lots near the Jackson Street Bridge — with the expectation that Bays will asphalt the city's gravel lots consisting of 68 parking spaces and pay for the improvements himself.

Bays Tower features a total of 140 apartment units; one is taken by his on-site apartment building manager. The last remaining unit is being constructed on the top floor, a luxury penthouse suite. Bays said he already has someone willing to pay $6,000 a month to occupy the luxury penthouse, but Bays said he is contemplating moving into the penthouse and living there himself.

His first tenants began moving into Bays Tower apartments on June 5.

"We've got 20 families moved in right now," Bays shared with Joliet Patch during Tuesday's interview. "We're getting some good people moving to the area, I've had people from Naperville and Bolingbrook move to the area.

"Our screening process is a little tough right now," Bays explained. "I'm trying to get really good tenants."

Bays: Application Screening Process Will Take Time For Bays Tower

Bays Tower features 92 one-bedroom apartments, five 2-bedroom units and "the balance is studio," Bays noted.

"One hundred twenty are furnished and 20 are unfurnished," he said. "I wish I had more two-bedroom apartments ... It is a government building."

The main floor features a ballroom that will be used for special events and social activities. Bays added a large fitness center, a half dozen small professional offices for law firms to lease space, a beauty shop plus a breakfast and lunch restaurant that will open in the coming months, as the building gets closer to capacity. Bays Tower also features round-the-clock on-site security.

According to the Bays Investments website, studio apartments of 385 square feet start at $1,250 per month; 1-bedroom apartments of 520 square feet start at $1,350 per month and the two-bedroom apartments of 740 square feet start at $1,500 per month.

The former Murphy Building served as a public housing high rise for decades prior to Bays' purchase in the summer of 2024. The 13-story brick facade was built around 1965.

Bays said it may take another four or five months before Bays Towers is fully occupied. He is certain that will happen.

'We Could Fill It Up In 30 Days, But We Can't Move That Fast'

Joliet Patch inquired how many prospective tenants Bays has so far for Bays Tower apartments.

"We've got almost 200 applications submitted in the last three weeks," Bays revealed. "We could fill it up in 30 days, but we can't move that fast because we're screening. The people we've selected all have good jobs, we're getting some nurses, mostly professional people."

What's been the reaction with how Bays Tower turned out?

"So far, everybody is really happy," Bays remarked. "We're going to be adding some bicycle racks, and I still want to do an outside pool. I'm probably going to change the color of the building to gray, and we're going to be doing more outside lighting. It is going to be a lit-up building, more than it is right now."

Bays said he spent about $50,000 for landscaping around his Bays Tower, and it will probably cost him another $150,000 to blacktop the city of Joliet's Riverwall Lots across the street, giving him around 200 available spaces for tenant parking.

"The city of Joliet, they have been excellent with me," Bays shared. "When you have a city like Joliet that wants to work with you, it makes you want to do more and more. I am going to buy more property here around this building."

Joliet Patch has produced numerous exclusive stories in recent months about new businesses and promising developments across Joliet's downtown including the grand opening in May of the specialty coffee shop inside the 3 TEN Building at 310 North Ottawa Street called Sought Out Grounds on Route 66.

Sought Out Grounds is directly across the street from the newly opened Bays Tower.

To learn more about Bays Tower apartments visit the website for Bays Investments Corporation.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

New In Joliet: Specialty Coffee Shop Sought Out Grounds Opens, 'Dirty Hor' Super Good

Is John Bays About To Embark On His Greatest Joliet Achievement?

Bays Tower: 90 Percent Finished, Inground Swimming Pool Next?

Joliet's Rock & Roll Museum Becomes Worldwide Tourist Attraction: Here's What You'll Find