The Orland Park Village Board, at its last meeting of 2020, finalized plans for several new restaurants and a long-awaited downtown residential development.
The board first approved an inducement agreement that will bring a family-owned Taqueria Los Comales to 15609 S. Harlem Ave., the former site of a Dunkin’ Donuts.
According to the agreement, the family is planning to invest $150,000 in the redevelopment of the site, and the village will rebate 25 percent of that by sharing retail sales tax generated there on a 50-50 basis for up to 10 years, or sooner if the $37,500 mark is reached earlier.
“It was a struggle deciding to expand during COVID but we decided to do more online ordering and drive-thru and this location fit our needs,” said Lawrence Gonzalez, whose father founded the chain of restaurants in 1973.
Construction is due to begin May 1, with the restaurant scheduled to open July 1, with 12 new jobs created.
“We’re happy to have you here,” said Mayor Keith Pekau.
The board also approved an amendment to plans for the LaGrange Square development at 45 Orland Square Drive., the former site of Toys R Us, which has already been razed. Originally, the plans for the five-acre site at the corner of 151st Street and LaGrange Road called for as many as five restaurants in three buildings.
They include Raising Cane’s chicken restaurant in one building, a BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse—the first in Illinois—in another, and Panera and Chipotle restaurants in the third building, with space for another restaurant.
Ed Lelo, director of development services for the village, explained that the amendment was needed to allow Chipotle to open in a separate building on the site.
“This reason for this restructuring is essential due to COVID,” said Lelo. He explained that the Mexican restaurant expects to be handling a lot more online orders, and needed the space to have a “Chipotlane” pick-up window, different from a regular drive-thru. So now, there will be four buildings on the site.
The board also gave final approval for the construction of The Pointe, a 64-unit, 108,093 square-foot residential building on a 1.13-acre site at the northwest corner of 143rd Street and Southwest Highway.
The site has been vacant for approximately 12 years, and officials noted at the meeting that City View development company has been involved in plans for a site for about 10 years. In 2007, a mixed-use development with 22 residences and retail space was approved for the triangular piece of land. Then plans were changed in 2018 to make it entirely residential.​
Lelo said all parking for the residences will be located inside, in the lower level of the building. An attached parking lot for visitors is also planned, so there will be no parking allowed on Union Avenue, where the building will be located.
“We are encouraging all overflow to go to the Metra parking lots, (on the other side of Southwest Highway),” Lelo said.
He said rents for the one- and two-unit residences is expected to be on par with those in the upscale Ninety7Fifty on the Park residential development on the other side of Southwest Highway also.
“We have been working with the developer for many years on this. We are very excited to see this development and we look forward to it being a catalyst for more development in the Downtown Triangle area,” said Lelo. “The developer has also agreed to dedicate a piece of their property at 143rd Street and Union to improve the street access when the 143rd Street widening project is done,” he added.
“Once again, we are seeing people wanting to live and work in Orland Park. It will be a nice addition to the Sertoma residences being built on Union,” said Trustee Michael Milani, referring to the supportive housing development being built at 14205 S. Union Ave. “I am happy to see this coming to the downtown area.”
