Orland park and Riverside are really the only two suburbs that I actively follow in terms of development and other news, mostly because they were the location of my two childhood homes. Today Orland Park is seeing a lot of development. Are the new buildings ultra urban and sleek and architecturally notable? Not at all, but they are developments none the less. still very car oriented, but at least this new string of developments is a bit oriented around the 143rd street metra station. There are also new houses being built in the Old Orland area, houses that look good too, not McMansions. The three most interesting areas of development in Orland park is the Orland Park Triangle (bounded by 143rd, LaGrange, and Southwest Highway), Orland Park Crossing (across Lagrange from the Orland Park Triangle) and Old Orland (kiddie corner from the Orland Park Triangle, across 143rd).
ORLAND PARK TRIANGLE
The center of this new "downtown" Orland Park is the Orland Park Triangle.
Currently compleated in the triangle is an apartment building (Ninty7Fifty),
and two structures under construction, a UofC medical center at the corner of Lagrange and 143rd,
and a parking structure with a restaurant to service the medical center and the new downtown
The medical center is TO, and the brick facade is going on now, and some windows on the west side of the building (pleasantly surprised by the glass on this one) and the parking garage is just starting construction. you can see the progress on the two buildings here:
http://www.orlandparkparkingstructure.com/viewthesite/
here is a site plan to get a better idea of the area:
the parking garage isn't shown very well, but it is going up at "Parcel C"
west of the medical center.
We also should be seeing proposals for the site west of the Ninty7Fifty apartments. There was a Tribune article saying the the town was accepting proposals up until May 27th for the site, and were looking for creative proposals, and that "creativity and uniqueness" of the proposal will be the main determining factor of the winner.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburb...419-story.html
ORLAND PARK CROSSING
Orland park crossing is a large community under development across LaGrange from the Orland Park Triangle. The community will include a huge "shopping center" (strip/outlet mall
) town homes, row homes, duplexes, 4 apartment buildings, and a new Marianos.
The "shopping center" and the duplexes are completed, and the 4 four story apartment buildings, town homes, and row homes are nearing completion.
progress can be seen here:
http://www.theregionalnews.com/index...-park-crossing
The best part about this project is that a pedestrian path runs along side the development, which leads to a pedestrian bridge across LaGrange to the new Orland Park Triangle and the 143rd st metra station.
OLD ORLAND
Old Orland is obviously the historic part of town. It is very close to the Orland Park Triangle, across 143rd and kiddie corner to it. There is nothing under construction right now other than new homes, but the area is filled with historic Victorian style homes, and a cute downtown filled with antique shops.
The new homes being built I am very happy with. They are a sort of "urban" style, narrow and long, and work well with the current old housing stock. The homes are quite densely packed and give the area a nice quaint feel.
the old town hall built in the fifties was just recently turned into an Orland Park history museum and is across the street from the historic John Humphrey house.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburb...217-story.html
There was also at one point two mixed use developments proposed for the Old Orland area. I am not sure the status of the sites now, but I know of them because there at one point were signs on the sites advertising retail space and condos/apartments.
One site is across Southwest Highway from the Orland Park Triangle. i remember seeing a rendering of the development but i cant seem to find it anymore, but it was similar to the way Ninty7Fifty fronts the street, very "urban" (for suburbia at least).
there is also another site on Beacon street, right next to the historic downtown. this development was similar to the southwest highway development just described above. looking on google street view you can see the now taken down sign at the site and an elevation view of the development.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/o...7i13312!8i6656
the site today is clear of shurbs and the single family home was recently taken down, so i am not sure of the status of the developments.
hopefully if the two Old Orland developments are on hold, the developers will be inspired to continue with their plans once the Orland Park Triangle fills in more.
Again, these developments arent architecturally notable by any means, and they arent the most urban at all, but these developments are good for Orland, and hopefully can lead to a bigger growth of a town center for Orland Park.
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