The Joliet City Council on Tuesday declared three deteriorating properties public nuisances, a designation that typically lets the city pursue demolition or seek a court order forcing repairs. The Cottage Place property is a one-story, wood-frame, single-family residence at the rear of the lot that has been used for storage. The building has no active utility services and has large openings in the roof, leaving it exposed to the elements, according to a city memo. The Hickory Street property is a two-story, wood-frame, single-family home with a detached one-story wood-frame garage. The Third Avenue property is a vacant, two-story, wood-frame, single-family residence that sustained extensive fire damage in October 2023.