Politics & Government
Village To Reignite Plans To Buy Shuttered Mental Health Center
Village officials said at a board meeting they will restart negotiations with the state to purchase the property, which will cost millions.
TINLEY PARK, IL — Village officials confirmed Friday negotiations to acquire an empty mental health hospital from the state are resuming following two years of stalled talks.
The village has been interested in buying the 280-acre former Tinley Park Mental Health Center and redeveloping it but environmental hazards and price differences have slowed the process.
Currently, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services controls and oversees the property, which includes providing private security for the site. Latest talks cite the city wanting to use the property for a casino and racing track.
Find out what's happening in Tinley Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to village manage Pat Carr, both the CMS and village are eager to decide who gets the property and for how much.
Find out what's happening in Tinley Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Tinley Park's latest budget for the fiscal year that began May 1 sets aside $7.5 million to buy and renovate the property for potential redevelopment. In an estimate released several years ago, environmental officials told the village the site would require about $12.4 million in repairs to ensure the area is safe from toxins.
An extra quarter of a million dollars is also available for developers to use from a TIF fund, but village officials told Patch they estimate the potential cost has risen as the center sits vacant.
According to a state contract, the village has already designated a Washington-based lobbying firm called Cornerstone Government Affairs to help officials navigate the horse racing industry and any permits and laws that come with it.
Tinley Park backed away from a potential 2015 purchase of the building for $4.16 million and a 2019 offer from the state for $4.5 million. Officials said at a Thursday board meeting they want to be sure they have a clear plan on how to use the property before they purchase it.
Any sale would have to be approved by the state legislature, Carr said.
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