Senator Michael Hasting ensures degraded former Tinley Park Mental Health Center to be revitalized into a sports park in new law

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Senator Michael Hasting ensures degraded former Tinley Park Mental Health Center to be revitalized into a sports park in new law

State Senator Michael E. Hastings spearheaded a measure through the Senate that would allow Tinley Park’s Park District to renovate a degraded building into a sports park and recreational space for residents in the community to utilize.

“Tinley Park is a great place to raise a family, yet all this empty space has been ignored for over a decade,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort).

“This has been an eyesore for the community, and something needs to be done about it.”

The former Tinley Park Mental Health Center site located on a 280-acre plot of land has been vacant since 2012.

State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon

The facility was the last of 12 state-owned properties of its kind when its doors were closed a decade ago.

Shuttered without maintenance and nestled in the heart of the village, the state-owned property underwent an environmental study in 2019 that lead to the discovery of numerous environmental concerns, including asbestos infested buildings and black mold, among others.

House Bill 3743 authorizes a land transfer of the presently unoccupied and unused combined campuses of Tinley Park Mental Health District and the Howe Development Center to the Tinley Park – Park District, one of the region’s most highly praised park districts and recreational agencies.

The Tinley Park – Park District envisions transforming the long-vacant property into a hub of athletic fields, track and field facilities, a domed sports complex and open recreational space to meet the needs of the Tinley Park community, Hastings explained.

Hastings said the law will result in a sports park that also expands opportunities for neighboring communities.

Hastings believes the conversion of the abandoned and long dormant former Mental Health Center will revive the community.

“The restoration of this area has been a major legislative priority throughout my career in the Senate,” said Hastings.

“We want this space in the heart of Tinley Park to represent the best our community has to offer, and I believe that this legislation will help transform this area into something we are proud of.”

House Bill 3743 passed the Senate Friday, May 19, 2023.