SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings spearheaded a measure through the Senate that would allow the Tinley Park – 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. 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 would authorize 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. 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 and expand opportunities for neighboring communities – something Hastings believes 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.