Teehan's Tavern Demolition Start Date Set: Village

TINLEY PARK, IL — Like it or not, Teehan's Tavern is about to come down.

Demolition on the beloved 171-year-old building at 17329 Oak Park Ave. in the heart of Tinley's downtown is set to begin the week of March 25. The process is expected to take about a week, Village Manager Pat Carr told Patch.

Weeks after the final beer was poured and last shots taken during the Village's Irish Parade, the Village prepares to take the next steps towards its reincarnation. Taken from the building as it stands, for use in its near-replica, were "some signs, parts of the bar, ceiling tiles and bricks," Carr said.

"We are excited about a new chapter in Tinley Park history that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for years to come," Carr told Patch.

Pub patrons and supporters last fall were disappointed—and some angry—to learn that the iconic building in the heart of Tinley's downtown would be demolished. Little comfort was brought by the news that the Village had purchased the rights to the name, with the plans to build anew. The Village plans to essentially replicate the building — with some modernizations — on the same property and lease it along with the Teehan's Tavern name.

The building had quite a send-off, with a days-long Teehan's Tribute Fest leading up to its final toast on Sunday, March 3.

"This is about helping people feel at peace with the closing," said Shannon McAuliffe, who has been managing the bar since former owner and manager Regis Teehan's retirement in September.

"I wanted people to be able to come, and really send it off," McAuliffe said.

Teehan was quick to note that the choice had been hers, and that she was ready for retirement. Teehan had served in the role for 34 years, at the bar that has been in her family since 1917. The bar continued operating after her retirement, with Durbin's Pizza owner Tom McAuliffe signing a lease to take over the space both until and after its closing, demolition, and ultimate resurrection.

It's the loss—albeit temporary—of a local favorite.

McAuliffe stressed to Patch previously that Teehan's will rebuild, and it will be better than ever. The current building requires major work and is not structurally sound, both she and Village officials have said.

"We are reopening, and it’s going to be amazing," she said. "We do plan on upholding the family traditions. We’re Irish—Regis is wonderful, we get along great."

The new building will feature some aspects of the current one, plucked from the structure before it's razed.

"Everyone I’ve talked with from the Village has made me feel confident that the Teehan’s legacy will be honored in the reconstruction and reopening," Teehan said previously.

"This bar is like a member of my family. It was my great-grandfather who bought it in 1917. After him, it was Grandma who ran it, then my father. When it came to me in 1989, I was ready to carry the torch, and now I’m ready to pass it.

"Teehan’s has been a part of Tinley Park for over a century. Our tiny farm town has grown a great deal since those days — even since I took over the business — but the heart of Tinley Park remains situated on Oak Park Avenue, and I’m happy to know that the new owners and management understand and respect the role my family’s tavern has played in Tinley Park for all of these years."

One thing my father always said to me was, 'Change always comes,' and I guess this is just one of those changes. The fact is, though, I'm ready to retire. I grew up in this bar, and I took it over in 1989. This has been a wonderful, wild ride, and now it's time for me to hop off the Tilt-a-Whirl. Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision, but I want to travel and read and spend more time with my family. And the way the world is, who knows how much more time anyone has?

— Regis Teehan, in August 2023

Plans for the new building include rooftop seating overlooking the highly touted Harmony Square, a new multi-use plaza that will be located at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and North Street in downtown Tinley.

Harmony Square, 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.