Politics & Government

Officials Broach 'Asbestos-Filled' Health Center Land

Village Mayor Ed Zabrocki weighed the positives and negatives Tuesday to considering a 275-acre plot of land where the Tinley Park Mental Health Center now sits. He said developers' interest has declined and he called it an "environmental nightmare."

Local officials said Tuesday that the last client at the should be filing out the doors by July 1.

That means the once sought-after land will soon be up for grabs, potentially finding its way in front of the village board for local purchase. But Mayor Ed Zabrocki noted during a joint meeting of the Village Board and park district Tuesday that developers may not want the land as much as they previously did.

The facility had been under fire for several years before finally getting its fate handed down last week when a Cook County judge denied a motion that could have delayed its closure.

Find out what's happening in Tinley Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The will be offered to other state agencies for a period of 60 days prior to coming before the village, which gets the "first right of refusal," Zabrocki said. He seemed split on the matter Tuesday, though he noted it could have residential or retail potential.

"Back in '04-'05, when this first came in line that this might be up for sale, I probably got 70, 75 letters from different developers all over the country," he said, noting that one came from a four-year university. "When it finally reached the point over the last two years where it was going to close … I got zero letters."

Find out what's happening in Tinley Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He cited hefty Cook County taxes as one of the downsides to the plot, noting that the facility is literally across the street from less taxed Will County properties. He also called the space and its "asbestos-filled" buildings an "environmental nightmare."

"All are wrapped in asbestos," Zabrocki said. "(They) will have to get (torn) down and I think all of us have had experience one time or another to know what's involved in removing a building that's filled with asbestos."

, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, said that if the land does come before the village board, ample research will be compiled so trustees can make an informed decision.

"There's still a lengthy period to go through with the state before it gets to us," Hannon said. 

The center dates back to 1958, when it was built on 213 acres adjacent to the 62-acre property that has since been vacated by the Howe Development Center—it closed up shop in 2009.

Operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, it's one of nine state-run hospitals that provide civil and forensic, court-remanded psychiatric care.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has been working steadily since September 2011 to close seven state facilities—including the — and lay off more than 1,900 state workers as part of a plan to cut state spending. He blamed the cuts on state lawmakers who gave him a budget that was $2.2 billion less than he requested.

“It’s time for a rendezvous with reality” for legislators, he said during a Chicago news conference last year.

The closings could save the state $313 million.


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