Tinley Park officials have approved an agreement with Cook County that paves the way for major overhauls of portions of 175th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
The county will cover much of the tab for the work, which will involve rebuilding 175th between Oak Park Avenue and Ridgeland, reconstruction on Ridgeland between 175th and Oak Forest Avenue, and improvements to the intersection of Ridgeland and Oak Forest Avenue.
The agreement approved Tuesday by the Village Board formalizes a letter of understanding agreed to last summer by the village and county.
New sidewalks and streetlights would be installed along those portions of 175th and Ridgeland, and permanent traffic signals would be installed at the intersection of 175th and Oak Park Avenue, according to the village.
Costs for engineering and design work related to water and sewer lines and streetlights would be the village’s responsibility.
The agreement would ultimately result in the village gaining control, and it would be obligated for maintenance of the streets, which is now handled by the county.
The county would reimburse the village for initial engineering work and some other costs related to the street improvements.
Work on 175th would involve essentially rebuilding that portion, lowering it so that stormwater runoff no longer spills over onto adjacent properties, and installing curbs and gutters. Similar work would be done along Ridgeland.
Tinley Park is already conducting sewer work along 175th in conjunction with the construction of Freedom Pond at the southwest corner of 175th and Ridgeland.
The pond is being built to hold stormwater runoff generated by future development in the downtown business district but would also benefit the potential redevelopment of Panduit’s former headquarters and manufacturing site. Panduit donated the property for the pond.
The jurisdictional transfer of the streets would happen after construction is completed, meaning it would be the village’s responsibility to maintain and plow the roads. The village, several years ago, did a similar transfer with the county for a section of 171st Street between Harlem and Oak Park avenues, the mayor said.
Tinley Park created a tax increment financing district that takes in the Panduit site and dozens of nearby homes and other properties. Increased property tax revenue generated within the TIF can be used to pay for work related to public improvements, such as sewer lines.
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