Next Step In Tinley Mental Health Center Cleanup OK'd, More Money Needed

TINLEY PARK, IL — Tinley Park-Park District officials have taken a next step in its cleanup of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center site.

Officials said Tuesday that the Board of Commissioners had cast its first of two votes in its selection of a contractor for the next phases of the work. A call for bids for asbestos removal and demo work was issued in May. The board’s Tuesday vote brings it closer to moving ahead with key work as part of the next phases of cleanup: removal of asbestos and other hazardous materials inside vacant buildings, followed by demolition of all buildings on-site, officials said in a release.

The board’s Tuesday vote gave preliminary approval on the abatement and demolition contract to Omega III LLC; a second vote at a date still to be determined will approve the terms of the contract. The Board also approved a third-party air monitoring contract to Shawn Brown Enterprises Inc. to conduct independent air monitoring while the work is underway to ensure the safety of the surrounding community.

"The Park District and its team of experts undertook extensive evaluation of the five bids received for performance of the abatement and demolition work and the six bids received for performance of the independent third-party air monitoring," the Park District said. "The standard for the decisions as indicated in the Invitations to Bid is that contracts will be awarded to the lowest and most responsible and responsive bidder, taking into consideration whether the selected bidder and bid is the best value for the Park District. Both Omega III LLC and Shawn Brown Enterprises met those standards and provided bids that were the lowest in cost. Both bidders also were determined to be responsible and responsive to the bid specifications."

Elgin-based Omega has operated in Illinois and the Midwest, including projects with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the City of Chicago, and Crete-Monee CUSD. Projects for which Omega has served as the prime contractor for abatement and demolition work include the Edwards Hines VA Hospital, Schaumburg Atrium Center and Huntley Outlet Mall. Omega has also worked alongside experienced construction companies, including Walsh Construction.

Next Steps

The extensive cleanup of all 280 acres of vacant land is set to be funded through a grant awarded to the park district as the land's new owner. The State of Illinois in 2023 locked in $15 million in grant money to cover the remediation. The funding was provided to the Park District to begin the cleanup work under its current fiscal year budget, based on a 2014 cost estimate of cleanup.

With formal bidding completed, and the "continued degradation of the abandoned buildings and structures," park district officials have reportedly determined that remediation costs have risen. They say they need additional funding from the state to complete full demolition of all buildings and structures, as well as the soil sampling work that will follow under the IEPA’s Site Remediation Program to obtain a “No Further Remediation” (NFR) letter from IEPA, paving the way for redevelopment of the land.

The park district has not said how much more funding they believe the project will require, though officials said the current funding will cover "a significant amount of the work."

"They’re going to be able to remove asbestos and waste completely under this contract," a representative said. "They will also be able to demolish the majority of the buildings."

"... the Park District intends to take the next steps of the cleanup process in phases to ensure as much cleanup work as the current state funding can provide will continue at the site, while the Park District works with its partners at the state level to secure additional funding to complete the cleanup," officials said in a release.

With Tuesday’s vote, the park district is negotiating a contract under those terms with Omega, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with the board of commissioners approving a formal contract in a second vote.

"The cleanup of all 280 acres of vacant property is long overdue, and we are anxious to continue work at the site to restore this land for our community," said Lisa O’Donovan, Park District Board Commissioner and Chair of the Remediate 280 Committee, which is overseeing clean-up of the site.

"We strongly believe in being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring that the state of Illinois funds this entire cleanup process. With our phased approach, work will continue to proceed at the site to minimize delays in this project. We are confident our partners at the state level will work with us to provide funding to ensure the entire 280 acres of land is cleaned up."

Officials said once a contract is in place, the first phase of work is anticipated to start immediately, beginning with removal of asbestos and regulated materials and waste inside the vacant buildings. The safe removal of asbestos and other wastes must be done prior to buildings being demolished.

The park district will have independent, third-party asbestos monitoring contractor Shawn Brown Enterprises Inc. to help oversee the asbestos removal process and monitor air quality while the work is underway to ensure the community’s safety, officials said.

"Shawn Brown and his team bring extensive oversight experience to the project and will serve as an additional layer of expertise for the Park District and the public," according to a release. "As with every step of this process, cleanup efforts are being overseen by numerous environmental experts."

The park district began cleanup efforts last fall by engaging in an updated environmental study, conducted by Tetra Tech, to determine the extent of remediation needed. Find Tetra Tech’s report on the Park District’s website. Over the winter, vegetation and overgrowth on the property was cut back to provide access to roads and buildings on the site and complete the clean-up process. In addition, in February, crews safely removed three underground storage tanks that remained on the property.

A tour of the property in February told a story of a small "village" within the village—buildings abandoned and frozen in time. Cracked roads winding through graffiti-splashed buildings with shattered windows and deserted recreation areas.

The park district paid $1 to obtain the site in February. Previous cost to purchase was estimated at $4.5 million, with Village officials seeking ownership.

"Today marks an historic day for the Park District of Tinley Park and our community," O’Donovan said in February. "We are proud to be turning this blighted property into another reason to love Tinley parks."

The clean-up process is being led by the park district's team of former Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano and leading environmental attorney Elizabeth S. Harvey, with the oversight of the IEPA. Park district officials also hired Michael Maloney as project manager to lead all clean-up work. Maloney is a Tinley Park resident and former President of Pipefitters Local Union 597, Maloney has experience as a construction superintendent, managing large workforces on a variety of multimillion-dollar projects involving highly radioactive components in nuclear power stations across northern Illinois.

"Through every step of this process, we will continue to update the community on our progress cleaning up all 280 acres of the vacant land," said Ashley Rubino, Park District Board Commissioner and Co-Chair of the Remediate 280 Committee. "We understand the community’s strong desire to see the land finally cleaned up using state funding, not Tinley Park taxpayer dollars."

"The Park District is moving through the cleanup process carefully and responsibly," said Marie Ryan, park board president. "Under our plan for the next stages of clean up, we are ensuring work will continue at the site, while we secure additional funding to complete the project. With this approach, we can ensure delays in this long overdue cleanup are minimal and is fully funded by the state of Illinois"

"Our work continues to move ahead on behalf of the Park District and all of the Tinley Park residents who have wanted to see this blighted property revitalized for our community," said Park District Commissioner Donald Cuba.

More information and updates can be found on the Park District’s website.