Joliet Spending $820,000 To Purchase Building Near Courthouse

JOLIET — The Joliet City Council will vote at Tuesday night's meeting whether to spend $820,000 to purchase a building directly across the street from the new Will County Courthouse. The building's address is 63 West Jefferson Street and it's about a 30-second walk to get there from Joliet's City Hall.

Mayor Terry D'Arcy told Joliet Patch on Monday that the purchase is a great move for the city because it will allow the city to cut its substantial rent payments that are currently being made to rent from John Bays at the Two Rialto Square Building.

D'Arcy said that the city's public utilities staff would likely relocate from the Two Rialto building to the newly purchased 63 West Jefferson Street. Also, other city employees or staff could end up at the new building as well, D'Arcy said, explaining that Joliet's City Hall is already overcrowded as it is.

According to city documents, Joliet plans to spend $820,000 to purchase the commercial building from John Reed. The property has served as law offices for the past several years. D'Arcy told Patch that the city had the building at 63 West Jefferson appraised to make sure the price was reasonable. Also, D'Arcy said that John Bays already has other prospective tenants lined up to fill the space once the city's public utilities staff vacates the leased space at Two Rialto Square on Joliet's North Chicago Street.