Candidate Mech On Mental Health Center Site: Think Solar, Green

TINLEY PARK, IL — Tinley trustee candidate Jeff Mech's redevelopment plan for the former mental health center site includes a solar farm, electric-vehicle charging station, green space and a retirement home.

"The traditional way of redeveloping a site like this is finding an investor or corporate bidder to give us the most money," he said. "It's been done before, but I think we can think outside of the box for this property and make it unique and make it stand out."

His green plan is a long-range view of Tinley, a kind of futurist perspective — although Mech would argue the future is now.

"Electric vehicles are here," he said. "It's not something 10, 15, 20 years down the road. And people will need to charge their cars."

His support for the solar farm and charging stations comes out of Tinley's own environmental enhancement commission, where Mech has served for seven years. In 2017, members recommended that Tinley build them on 100 of the 280 acres of the site.

By building the solar farms, he explained, Tinley could generate energy and sell it on the market or potentially lower residents' energy costs. The village could also capitalize on the state's Future Energy Jobs Act, which requires that 25 percent of ComEd's and Ameren's energy to come from renewable resources. It also requires 4,300 megawatts of new solar and wind power to be built in Illinois by 2030. That's enough energy to power millions of homes.

"I've said all along that we can be a leader in environmental initiatives," he said. "We could make ourselves stand out."

The charging stations would draw travelers along Interstate 80 to Tinley, where they may decide to stay to shop, dine or sleep, thereby boosting the local economy, he explained.

Mech would also leave acres of green space and plan for sports and recreation opportunities, and build paths for walking and biking.

"It should be very easy to get from one side to the other by walking or biking," he said.

Finally, because forecasts call for increased need for senior-citizen housing, Tinley should reserve some space for "state-of-the-art" retirement facilities, Mech added.

The goal, he said, is to build something that improves the quality of life for all Tinley residents.

Like all of the candidates running for the three seats in the April 2 election, Mech believes the state of Illinois should remediate the site, which is a known brownfield. He would also urge the village to hire an environmental attorney to help usher Tinley through the redevelopment process.

The village's plan
The village is negotiating with Melody Square LLC to build a sweeping, largely age-restricted community to redevelop the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center. Under the proposal, Melody Square would build 435 single-family homes targeted for buyers ages 55 and older, as well as about 200 luxury senior apartments on the 280-acre site. Another 100 apartments, 60 single-family homes, and recreation and public green space is planned for the site.

The negotiation lasts for six months and is non-binding.

The development team is made up of Chicago-area partners K. Hovnanian, M/I Homes, Jax Yards, Rick Heidner of Heidner Properties and Dave Dorgan. Dorgan is a former Tinley Park village manager.

Village officials began looking at options to redevelop the former mental health center's site in 2017, five years after former Gov. Pat Quinn shut down the state facility near Harlem Avenue and 183rd Street.

They had planned to purchase the land from the state in 2015 for more than $4 million. According to the Tribune, the plan was set aside and officials have said that they are waiting for a new property appraisal.

In 2014, an environmental evaluation report showed that the area contained contaminated soil and leaking underground storage tanks filled with gasoline and chemical drums. The area would need remediation, the report showed. Estimates put the cost of clean up at about $12 million.