Mental Health Center Site Talks Stall Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

TINLEY PARK, IL — When the month of March began, the most pressing issue facing officials and residents in Tinley Park was how to begin the ownership transfer and cleanup of the 280-acre site to the northwest of 183rd and Harlem that for decades was home to the Tinley Park Mental Health Center and Howe Development Center. Now coming up on the end of the month, for obvious reasons, it is not so much a priority.

"Everything has been on hold since the coronavirus crisis began," Tinley Park Village Manager Dave Niemeyer said regarding the issue.

State of Illinois officials confirmed earlier this month they had plans to sell the property. The state's Central Management Services department that overseas the property said its next step was to "determine the appropriate fair market value to responsibly manage this portfolio and give new life to this property."

Niemeyer, during a March 3 village board meeting, said the village was aware of the state's plans and had some "concerns" over the details behind it, but at that point plans were for officials from both the state and village to meet and come up with a plan to transfer the property, which has been owned by the state and left vacant since the Mental Health Center closed in 2012.

But now, everything is on hold. There's been at least one confirmed coronavirus case in Tinley Park among thousands statewide.

"Before COVID-19, the state was going to agree to meet with us and figure out a way to sell it (the Mental Health Center site) to us," Niemeyer said. "The process of how that was going to happen... we were all going to determine that. That was the next stop."

In the weeks since that point, thousands of Illinois residents have confirmed cases of the new coronavirus including more than 1,000 reported Sunday alone. Dozens of state residents have died due to the coronavirus as numbers continue to increase everyday.

"Obviously there are now more immediate priorities for both the state and the village" than the future of the Mental Health Center property, Niemeyer said, noting however that the specific dangers the local property poses haven't lessened though.

A December 2019 inspection revealed friable asbestos and black mold in all buildings at the Mental Health Center site. Also, several barrels of labeled and unlabeled chemicals exist both inside and outside the buildings.