Buildings Razed In Next Step At Tinley Mental Health Center Land

TINLEY PARK, IL — Local officials on Thursday watched as bulldozers hit another building at the blighted property of the vacant Tinley Mental Health Center.

Tinley Park-Park District leaders, along with State Sen. Michael Hastings and State Rep. Bob Rita, gathered to mark the next step in revitalizing the 280-acre property at 183rd and Harlem Avenue.

Three of the nearly 50 buildings on the site have been razed so far—a fourth came down Thursday.

“Our community has lived with this eyesore long enough, and I’m proud to be leading this effort to restore the vacant land for Tinley Park,” said Michael Maloney, Park District Project Manager.

Maloney—who is also running for Tinley Park mayor in April atop the Tinley Together ticket—said they have "navigated a complex process to get to this point."

Work to date has including cutting back vegetation and overgrowth on the property to provide access to roads and buildings on the site, erecting security fencing around the perimeter of the site, safely removing underground storage tanks, and removing stormwater and dewatering of the property.

"We worked to cut back a decade of overflow by access to roadways and gutters, which we hope will help the property look like something more than a one-way highway," Maloney said.

The Park District acquired the land from the state for $1 last February, with $15 million in state funding secured to pay for the remediation of all 280 acres—starting first with environmental clean-up, vegetation cutting and overgrowth removal, and removal of underground storage tanks. Maloney said he's committed to using only the state funding to complete the project.

"This site was neglected way too long, but we are changing all that," he said.

<< RELATED: 'Great Day': Leaders Mark Transfer Of Tinley Mental Health Center Land >>

Before the Park District took ownership of the site, it began environmental clean-up work by conducting an updated environmental assessment of the land to determine the extent of remediation needed.

The clean-up process is being led by the Park District’s expert team of Project Manager Michael Maloney, former Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano and leading environmental attorney Elizabeth S. Harvey. The experts are helping ensure the safety of environmental work as well as receive the IEPA’s stamp of approval to redevelop the site.

“After more than a decade, we’re cleaning up the property for our community, and I am excited by the tremendous progress being made,” said Park District Board President Marie Ryan.

Officials have said the project will be completed in phases. Phase 1 includes a playground and sports facilities fully accessible for people living with special needs, multipurpose athletic fields, a domed sports complex with a full-size soccer field, a stadium with a track, a splash pad, concession stands, spectator stands, lighting, ample parking, as well as a pond, picnic areas and open green space.

“I am so proud to be cleaning up this blighted property and saving taxpayers millions of dollars while doing it,” said Lisa O’Donovan, Park District Board Commissioner and Chair of the Remediate 280 Committee, which is overseeing clean-up of the site.

"We are cleaning this community up for the families and the people of Tinley Park, and we are committed to making this a wonderful opportunity to expand and enhance the lives of people of all ages. We look forward to everything in the future here in Tinley Park, and we are so excited."

In a separate press release Thursday, Hastings applauded the progress thus far.

“Abandoned facilities like the one here are not only an eyesore of unusable space, but also open the door for potential health risks for our community,” said Hastings (D-Tinley Park). “The speed and efficiency at which this project has moved means we are doing right by our residents.”

Officials said that at the completion of environmental cleanup, the Park District will engage with the Tinley Park community to discuss ideas and feedback to redevelop the land. More information and updates about the clean-up project can be found on the Park District’s website.