Developer's Lawsuit Could Jeopardize Completion Of $37M Tinley Project

COOK COUNTY, IL — A tiff between developers behind a $37-million project in downtown Tinley Park has turned into a lawsuit, possibly jeopardizing completion of the project, according to a report.

A dispute between Boulevard Development LLC co-owners Robert Hansen and Joseph Rizza has resulted in one suing the other and trying to dissolve the company, The Real Deal reports.

The project—which was designed to include two apartment buildings with retail space on the ground floor at South Street and 67th Court—is in limbo, with just one of the two buildings constructed.

Filed last month, the lawsuit pits real estate developer Hansen against business partner and auto dealership owner Rizza, with Hansen claiming Rizza "refused to authorize the company to seek financing for the second phase of the project, proceed with construction or retain a general contractor," according to the report.

The apartment complex was projected to be a four-story, 296,419-square-foot, mixed-use development at the southeast corner of South Street and 67th Court. Plans called for 29,853 square feet of retail space on the first floor and 165 residential apartment units in total. One building is complete; construction on the second was set to begin in October. It has not.

During the project's approval process, village officials pieced together a $7.5 million incentive package for the project and company—which also does business as South Street Development—including $300,000 for a tapas-style restaurant on the main floor, and funding $230,000 for the first phase of construction.

With progress on the project delayed, the company could lose $500,000 in tax increment funding from the Village, The Real Deal reports.

The lawsuit was filed weeks before Mayor Mike Glotz and officials announced a partnership with a developer to bring to fruition a vision for Harmony Square, a new multi-use plaza that will be located at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street in Downtown Tinley. The plaza, which was designed by the Lakota Group and will be constructed on 1.6 acres, will include an adaptive plaza space that will have events scheduled year-round. Features will include an artificial turf lawn, a concert stage and a focal “gateway” plaza on the other, seasonal fire pits, a splash pad for summer that converts into an ice rink during the winter, and a support building for skate rentals and a warming hut, as well as other amenities.

“Harmony Square is part of a bigger plan to redevelop Downtown Tinley, which is already underway with the opening of the Boulevard at Central Station and the many new businesses along Oak Park Avenue,” Glotz said. “Once complete, it will be the living room of Tinley Park, a central hub where people will come to hang out and relax.”

Harmony Square is part of the Village’s “Life Amplified” branding effort, started in 2017, that centers around music. The new plaza was designed using placemaking, a community-driven, collaborative, destination-focused process that pays attention to the interactions between the physical, social, ecological, economic and cultural qualities of a space.

Renderings show The Boulevard at Central Station complex facing Harmony Square, with the plaza a central focal point.

“Harmony Square will also support the surrounding businesses and, in turn, the entire Tinley Park economy,” Village Manager Pat Carr said. “It will reduce the leakage of locally earned money being spent in neighboring communities, increasing the investment and tax base in Tinley Park and dramatically increasing visitor spending locally.”

Village officials declined comment on the litigation between Hansen and Rizza. A court date has been set for June 12, according to The Real Deal.