The Dock At Inwood Has Closed, What Happens At Joliet Park District?

JOLIET, IL — When you approach the front entrance to the Joliet Park District's Inwood Athletic Club, the lights are off and nobody is laughing and having a good time inside The Dock At Inwood. Five years of hearty laughter and good times with family and friends and all of those margarita flights, they're all gone, never to be replicated at 3000 West Jefferson Street.

After five years of operation, The Dock At Inwood closed its Joliet location on Dec. 31. Owner Rick Trafton was unable to reach an agreement on a new multi-year lease with the Joliet Park District, so both sides agreed to go their separate ways.

Trafton recently told Joliet Patch that The Dock will emerge somewhere else, possibly Joliet, possibly in the Lincoln Way area. He hopes to make a decision on a new location in the coming weeks.

"We are in talks with several places including Joliet, New Lenox and Mokena, which is a compliment," Trafton informed Joliet Patch in recent weeks.

During his highly successful five-year run, The Dock at Inwood had sold more than 517,000 of its margarita flights. The Dock also operated three margarita flight trucks allowing Joliet's bar on wheels to bring its popular alcoholic beverages and food entrées to corporate business outings and social events throughout northern Illinois during the warm weather months.

Meanwhile, back at Inwood, the lights are off, and the doors are locked. This month, is normally a busy time for Joliet Park District director Brad Staab as he's in the process of finalizing his music lineup contracts for June's Taste of Joliet at Memorial Stadium.

Last summer marked Staab's most successful Taste of Joliet ever, and now he faces the challenge of replicating that success. And Staab also has his hands full trying to find a new tenant to take over the empty space at The Dock.

Staab told Joliet Patch last week that the Joliet Park District has already received multiple inquiries from people who are interested in taking over The Dock's vacated restaurant and bar.

Staab said the Park District definitely plans to have a new tenant on board by spring.

For now, The Dock's property may remain empty for the first two or three months of 2024.