Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas (right) gestures for other officials to gather with (left to right) Joliet City Councilman Don Fisher, Will County Clerk Pam McGuire, Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante and Will County Board Speaker Herbert Brooks, Jr. for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new parking lot on Ottawa Street in Joliet, Illinois, Friday, December 14, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media
Assistant City Manager Ben Benson grabs the ceremonial scissors for officials gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new parking lot on Ottawa Street in Joliet, Illinois, Friday, December 14, 2012. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media
Will County and Joliet officials gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new parking lot on Ottawa Street in Joliet, Illinois, Friday, December 14, 2012. Pictured left to right are Will County Court Administrator Kurt Sangmeister, Will County Board Speaker Herbert Brooks, Jr., local television announcer Dick Schuster (back to camera), Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante, and Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media
Will County and Joliet officials gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new parking lot on Ottawa Street in Joliet, Illinois, Friday, December 14, 2012. Pictured left to right are Will County Court Administrator Kurt Sangmeister, Will County Board Speaker Herbert Brooks, Jr., local television announcer Dick Schuster (back to camera), Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante, and Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media
Joliet and Will County officials gathered for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new parking lot on Ottawa Street in Joliet, Illinois, Friday, December 14, 2012. Pictured left to right are Joliet City Councilman Don Fisher, Will County Clerk Pam McGuire, Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante, Will County Board Speaker Herbert Brooks, Jr., Will County Court Administrator Kurt Sangmeister, former site owner Leo Kienig and Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun Times Media
The city of Joliet on Friday handed over a new parking lot to Will County, a transaction that marked one of possibly many cooperative ventures to come downtown. Both the city and county have high stakes downtown — the city for the obvious reasons and …
