The Joliet City Council at its meeting this week decided to repeal the development agreement it had enacted with Innovation Pavilion.

Plans, as previously presented, would have set up a business incubator in the city’s downtown for creative types to work.

Officials took action during the meeting without making comment on the matter.

City Manager David Hales told The Times Week last month that more vetting is needed of future developments in speaking of the city’s commitment to Innovation Pavilion.

In a memo to the council, Hales said the city finds that “although the city has provided time flexibility for the firm to achieve the work plan, there has been very limited momentum and little has been accomplished.”

The city originally approved the development deal in July 2017. Innovation Pavilion’s CEO at the time became the subject of sexual assault allegations earlier this year and later resigned from his post.

City staff has been working with the development’s new CEO since then to bring the incubator closer to becoming a reality.

Innovation Pavilion has not advanced the project to qualify for the incentives the city agreed to provide.

Later in the memo to the council, Hales said city staff finds the agreement should be repealed because “the firm has undergone serious leadership challenges.”

The role of CEO for the firm was filled on interim basis until a formal appointment was made on July 31.

Hales said in the memo that Innovation Pavilion’s new CEO has left the organization.

In a unanimous decision, Joliet officials repealed the development deal they had formed with Innovation Pavilion.