A Strategic Plan For Old Orland: Planning For A Historic District in The Chicago Surburbs

A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OLD ORLAND
Planning for a Historic District in the Chicago Suburbs
BETHANY SALMON
University of Illinois at Chicago | Department of Urban Planning & Policy
Community Development | Advisor: Kheir Al-Kodmany | Summer 2016
II
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Executive Summary
2) Overview of the Old Orland Historic District & Surrounding Areas
3) The Development of A Suburb: A History Of Orland Park's Growth
13
4) Key Planning Considerations & Challenges
69
5) Recommendations
117
6) Conclusion
155
7) References
157
III
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Historic preservation generally conjures images of unique,
grand buildings and distinct old neighborhoods in cities, urban
areas, and main street communities. Yet, historic assets within
suburban environments are often less well known, less visible,
and underappreciated. While perceptions of postwar suburbia are
changing alongside new ways of planning, they are still viewed
as merely artifact of the automobile age characterized by sprawl,
parking lots, expansive subdivisions, strip malls, and highways.
Consequently, in many suburbs, preservation has received less
attention and efforts to save historic buildings from the wrecking
ball floundered with unprecedented growth in the postwar years.
Unfortunately, the result is the loss of countless buildings and
structures that represent unique regional or local patterns of
development that occurred before the postwar suburban trend.
Despite being known for its post-war suburban development,
the Village of Orland Park possesses a small Historic District
with a variety of late 19th and early 20th century buildings
that highlight the Villages early beginnings and contribute to
its sense of place. Amid the Villages suburban character and
more modern development, the Old Orland Historic District

is the oldest neighborhood that once served as the original
downtown. Although there have been many efforts to improve
the Historic District, the Old Orland neighborhood continues to
face challenges amid the overall planning within its suburban
surroundings and in the preservation of its historic buildings.
Located approximately 25 miles southwest of Chicago, Orland
Park is a prominent suburb and a regional shopping center.
With almost 60,000 residents, the Village contains one of the
largest malls in the Chicago Southland area, thriving commercial
arteries along LaGrange Road and 159th Street, a variety of
office complexes and educational institutions, hundreds of acres
of parks and open space, and a diverse housing stock. Today,
the Village is commonly known as the major commercial center
in Chicagos south and southwest suburbs as well as an affluent
residential community. Yet, less known is the remarkable history
of Orland Park and its evolution from a farm community and
small railroad town to a burgeoning post war suburb and regional
shopping and office center.
Many neighborhoods and suburbs in the Chicago region can trace their history
back to the growth of the rail network. The arrival of the railroad in 1848
created an economic foundation for newly developing towns and an efficient
way for farmers and businesses in outlying areas to trade and sell products in
Chicago.1 Around newly laid railroads and depot stations, farmers, residents,
workers, commuters, and developers built settlements that would eventually
evolve into new towns and suburbs. Similar to other communities, Orland
Parks pattern of development that originated during the railroad age is still
somewhat visible today. The original town formed closely to the rail line and
its depot. Although the area was primarily developed with single family homes,
it also includes early multi-family, commercial, restaurant, church, office, and
mixed-use buildings.
While the Village has led various efforts to improve Old Orland and promote
the restoration of its historic buildings, the District faces several challenges
that restrain its future and the preservation of remaining historic buildings. Of
note, the combination of outdated zoning and land development policies, the
recent dismantling of the Historic Preservation Review Commission, increasing
market pressures for redevelopment and the demolition of historic buildings
threatens to undermine Old Orlands character and integrity. Addressing these
challenges will create new opportunities for improvement and will help to
transform the District into a vibrant, dynamic neighborhood that preserves the
past while leaving room for future change.
Old Orland remains a marker of the Villages early history despite the postwar suburban development that virtually surrounds it. Careful planning
and implementation of revised Village policies can ensure that contributing
buildings with historic significance are not destroyed and are protected against
demolition, new construction is compatible with the existing neighborhood
character, and the neighborhood is an economically vibrant and beneficial
resource for the future.
Given the extensive redevelopment occurring in and around Old Orland,
primarily within Orland Parks Main Street downtown area, a renewed
attention, neighborhood planning and historic preservation considerations
should take place in Old Orland. Although the District no longer serves as
the original downtown, Old Orland stands as one of the few places left that
commemorates the Villages growth in the early 20th century.
The overall goal of this plan is to identify Old Orlands meaningful past and
contributions to the Village over time, up to the present. The developmental
history of the Village and key planning considerations for Old Orland are
intended to highlight the urgency for preserving what remains of the District,
as well as strategies to improve the neighborhood. A strategic plan for the
future will help ensure that the Historic District will stand as a living community
and remain a memorable, beneficial resource for the future.
Reconsidering Orland Parks policies and design guidelines that impact the
area can provide opportunities to improve Old Orlands underlying value and
support the maintenance of existing historic buildings. Despite an increase in
teardowns over the past decade, adopting an updated historic preservation
ordinance, effective strategy, and new policies or programs will help
strengthen, preserve, and protect Old Orlands historic sense of place and
simultaneously encourage future stability. The recommendations will highlight
the need for the Village to protect its historic resources and include a range of
possible planning initiatives, including new construction and design guidelines.
The prospects for Old Orland are yet to be fully explored but may be great in
themselves. Building on the momentum of Orland Parks new downtown, the
future for Old Orland holds a range of possibilities.
DOCUMENT OVERVIEW
The remainder of this document will contain the following chapters:
2) Overview of the Old Orland Historic District & Surrounding Areas
This chapter will provide a brief background of the Historic District, introducing
its general characteristics today, the location, and surrounding areas.
3) The Development of A Suburb - A History Of Orland Park's Growth
The history and development of Orland Park will be discussed, including the
Village's rural history, its start as a small railroad town, unprecedented post-
war suburban growth beginning in the 1970s, and

modern day conditions. This historic context is critical
to understanding the importance of preserving and
planning for Old Orland as well as how past planning
efforts have shaped the neighborhood up to the
present.
4) Key Planning Considerations & Challenges
This chapter will identify and discuss existing conditions,
challenges, and opportunities within the Old Orland
Historic District. Key planning considerations include
the built environment, connectivity, surrounding
neighborhoods, historic resources, open space,
distinct character, business activity, and zoning and
land development policies.
5) Recommendations
Based on the planning considerations, challenges,
and opportunities discussed in Chapter 4, this chapter
will present recommendations aimed at improving the
Historic District. Targeted interventions and strategic
development at opportunity sites will be highlighted.
6) Conclusion
7) References
ENDNOTES
Ann Durkin Keating, Chicago Neighborhoods and
Suburbs: A Historical Guide (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2008), 6.
1
ABOVE: Images of the Old Orland Historic District today (Bethany Salmon).
OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

AND SURROUNDING AREAS
The Old Orland Historic District once served as the Villages
original downtown. While settlement in the area dates back to
the 1830s, the Village remained a small rural center for over a
century. Old Orland experienced its first wave of growth in
the late 1800s with the construction of the Wabash, St. Louis
and Pacific Railroad through Orland Park. The railroad played
a critical role in establishing a town and greatly contributed to
its development over the following decades. The Sedgewick
Station, completed in 1879, transformed Orland Park from
a rural community of farmers into a commercial and shipping
center serving surrounding farms. Commercial uses, including
blacksmith shops, general stores, livery stables, hotels, and
dance halls, were located along 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and
Beacon Avenue.
Unlike some other Chicago area railroad towns that developed
during the early 1900s and later grew into post-war suburbs,
Orland Park had experienced relatively little population growth

and development up until in 1960s and 1970s. Yet, during its early
years,the Village was a thriving small town with a rich history and
unique set of farmers, business owners, and residents. Through
the 1940s, agriculture continued to dominate the character of
the area. But, alongside trends of suburbanization across US
cities in the 1950s, Orland Park began to slowly grow as people
moved from Chicago, inner ring suburbs and other areas of the
metropolitan region. After WWII, with new road connections,
Orlands commercial and housing environment began to
develop with returning soldiers and ex-urbanites searching for
new communities. Village improvements, including new roads,
schools, and water and sewer systems, paved the way for formal
subdivisions and commercial growth. Land values rose and it
became more profitable to sell land to developers rather than
farmers. Within a few decades, rapid commercial and residential
development began, leading to the growth of Village boundaries.
Rapid post-war suburban growth and the expansion

of LaGrange Road shifted the center of town from Old
Orland on 143rd Street to the LaGrange Road corridor and
Orland Square Mall. While Old Orland no longer serves
as the Villages downtown, the area retained a majority
of its original neighborhood character through historic
designation. During the 1960s and 1970s, the pressures
of suburban growth and ranch-style housing led to the
loss of historic buildings. To prevent future demolitions,
in 1986, the Village established the Old Orland Historic
District to preserve the areas historic and cultural value.
The original ordinance set in place architectural review
guidelines and created the Historic Preservation Review
Commission (HPRC). The HPRC had the responsibility
of reviewing alterations to existing buildings and the
construction of new buildings to ensure that development
was architecturally compatible with the historic character
of the Old Orland District.
Since Old Orland was established as a historic district,
the Village has made numerous efforts to strengthen and
preserve its past. Today, Old Orland continues to possess
a number of its wood frame, clapboard-sided, or brick 19th
and early 20th century buildings. A mix of single family
homes, mixed use and multi-family buildings, churches,
restaurants, offices, antique stores, and commercial retail
are present within the District. In addition to its diverse
land uses, the Districts central location, compact street
network, relatively low amount of traffic, proximity to local
businesses, and accessibility to local transit deems it an
attractive, walkable neighborhood for both homeowners
and developers.
ABOVE: Images of the Old Orland Historic District today (Bethany Salmon).
REGIONAL MAP
LAKE
MCHENRY
LAKE
MICHIGAN
294
COOK
90
94
290
290
KANE
DUPAGE
90
355
290
88
COOK
Chicago
88
90
294
REGIONAL CONTEXT & LOCATION OF ORLAND PARK

Located approximately 25 miles southwest of Chicago, Orland Park is a prominent
suburb and serves as a regional commercial center for Chicagos southwest region.
The Village is located primarily in the southwest corner of Cook County, with a small
portion of the municipality located in Will County. Bordering communities include
Homer Glen, Orland Hills, Mokena, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Palos Park, and Palos
Heights. Orland Park is roughly bounded by 131st Street to the north, Interstate 80
to the south, Will-Cook Road to the west, and Harlem Avenue to the east. The Village
encompasses roughly 22 square miles of land. Within the Villages boundaries, there
is a mixture of large and small unincorporated pockets of land.
55
Orland
Park
KENDALL
94
80
80
55
WILL
57
GRUNDY
OLD ORLAND'S LOCATION WITHIN THE VILLAGE
OLD ORLAND HISTORIC DISTRICT LOCATION

Old Orland is bounded by 143rd Street, the rear lot lines of the
properties south of 144th Place, West Avenue, and the rear lot
lines of the properties east side of Beacon Avenue. In total,
the Old Orland Historic District is comprised of only about 32
acres, including railroad land. Although the District comprises
less than 1% of Orland Parks approximately 14,000 acres, the
largest concentration of historic and old buildings remaining in
the Village are located within this small area.
SO
UT
HW
ES
T
HW
NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS
MAIN
STREET
143RD STREET
OLD
ORLAND
NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS
ORLAND
CROSSING
VILLAGE
CAMPUS
LAGRANGE ROAD
LEGEND
RAVINIA A
VE
NU
WEST AVENUE
T
OU
TH
W
ES
ME
TR
AS
Old Orland is located within walking distance

of the 143rd Street Metra Station and the
Main Street Downtown District, currently being
developed into a new mixed use, transitoriented downtown. Orland Crossing, to the
east of the Main Street area across LaGrange
Road, includes a recently constructed shopping
center with a mix of stores, restaurants, offices,
and multi-family buildings and rowhouses. The
LaGrange Road Corridor, which traverses the
Main Street Downtown and Orland Crossing
Districts, includes is a major north-south arterial
road provides access to Orland Square Mall
and additional shopping, restaurants, services,
and entertainment options.
Old Orland
Historic District
Village Boundary
Metra Station
1/2 MILE
1/4
10
Cook County
Orland Grove
Forest Preserve
McGinnis
Slough
143RD STREET
METRA STATION
142ND STREET
UT
HW
ES
T
LI
NE
Crescent
Park
SO
Ninety7Fifty
M
ET
RA
Orland Park
Elementary
LAGRANGE ROAD
SO
UT
H
ES
T
H
W
Y
OLD ORLAND & THE SURROUNDING AREAS
Orland
Crossing
University of
Chicago
Medicine Center
& Parking Deck
143RD STREET
VE
UE
143RD STREET
11
Humphrey
House
Frontier
Park
SO
RA
145TH PLACE
Humphrey
Woods
Humphrey
Sports
Complex
Orland
Park
Recreation
Franklin
Loebe
Center
147TH STREET
Village
Hall
Civic
Center
LEGEND
Old Orland Historic District
Village Boundary
Orland Park Police

Department & Fire
District
Orland
Township
Orland Park
Library
Orland Square
Mall
LAGRANGE ROAD
K
OL
RF
RAVINIA AVENUE
ER
H
UT
JOHN HUMP
HRE
YD
RIV
E
LR
O
AD
RAVINIA AVENUE
144TH PLACE
94TH AVENUE
Twin
Towers
Church
WEST AVENUE
There are also a number of parks and

recreational amenities in the area. The
Orland Grove Forest Preserve and McGinnis
Slough are located to the north of Old
Orland, which are owned and operated by
the Cook County Forest Preserve District.
A small neighborhood park is located in
the district and Frontier Park is located just
outside to the east. Additional green space
and recreational areas include Crescent Park
in the Main Street Downtown District as well
as Humphrey Woods and the Humphrey
Sports Complex in the Village Center.
BEACON AVENUE
UNIO N A
The Historic District is within close proximity

to a number of public institutions located at
the Village Center, also known as the Civic
Center District. This area includes Village
Hall, the Recreation Center, the Civic Center,
Orland Township, Orland Park Public
Library, Orland Park Fire Protection District,
and Orland Park Police Department.
Parks & Open Space

Metra Station
143RD STREET METRA STATION
LAGRANGE ROAD CORRIDOR
NINETY7FIFTY
ORLAND CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER
VILLAGE CENTER
RESIDENCES AT ORLAND CROSSING
12
13
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SUBURB: A

HISTORY OF ORLAND PARK'S GROWTH
Orland Park is more commonly known for its shopping centers,
endless retail and restaurant options, car dealerships, and
sprawling subdivisions.Yet, less people are aware of the Village's
rich history dating back to the 1800s. This chapter explores
the growth of Orland Park, from its start as a small agricultural
community to a burgeoning suburb and regional shopping center.
Because the Village's history is intrinsically linked to its original
downtown and the railroad, a large portion of this section focuses
on the evolution of the Old Orland area up to the present.
The history of Old Orland and its contributions over time presents
one of the most compelling reasons for the preservation of the
Historic District and the need for thoughtful planning. While much
of the history surrounding the District has been obscured by
surrounding post-war suburban development, there are a range
of possibilities for strengthening and protecting Old Orland's
historic sense of place and guiding its future development.
The maps and aerial images on the following pages show both
the growth the Village's boundaries and Orland Township over

the past century. The townships boundaries extend from 135th
Street to the north, 183rd Street to the south, Harlem Avenue to
the east, and Will-Cook Road to the west. These images highlight
the legacy of Orland Parks agricultural landscape over time and
the villages rapid development after the 1970s.
SUMMARY OF GROWTH
Orland Park originated as a small agricultural community,
with farmsteads scattered throughout Orland Township. The
construction of the Wabash Railroad in 1879 transformed
the rural landscape into a small farm center. Previously a long
journey through muddy roads to the nearest trade town, the train
station provided farmers and businesses a way to directly and
conveniently trade agricultural products and livestock to Chicago.
The railroad was crucial to early development. The foundations
of a community formed as new churches, mills, taverns, schools,
and other institutions were built to serve the daily lives of town
residents and surrounding farms.
14
RIGHT: The growth of Orland Park's boundaries from 1900

- 2015, highlighting its slow growth in the beginning of the
20th century and a large increase in annexations in after
1970s. The increase in land and area and population over
time is also shown to highlight the Village's growth pattern.
15
ORLAND PARK'S GROWING BORDERS FROM 1900-2015
16
The Village was officially incorporated in 1892, extending from approximately

143rd Street to the north, 151st Street to the south, 94th Avenue to the east,
and West Avenue to the west.
Across the next few decades, Orland Park largely remained a farming
community. Farmhouses dotted agricultural fields in the township and
modest wood homes were built in town. The population grew slowly, but
inline with its rural character, more people lived outside the village limits in
the unincorporated township.
SUBURBAN EMERGENCE
Up until the 1950s, the Village had not expanded much beyond its original
borders and development remained concentrated around the Wabash
Railroad. It was only until after WWII that Orland Park began to take on the
identity of a Chicago suburb. While initial post-war suburban development
almost bypassed Orland Park, the Village slowly began to attract new
residents. The first major subdivision was constructed in 1957, which marked
the beginning of unprecedented residential development. In planning for
growth, Village improvements such as the extension of water and sewer
systems, utilities, and roads were implemented, further increasing land value
and making the area attractive to housing developers and new residents.
Newly constructed shopping centers shifted the original downtown to
LaGrange Road and other outlying areas. Growth was no longer based on
the Wabash Railroad. Instead, the rise of the automobile and suburbanization
guided the Villages spatial development. Farmland was slowly converted into
dispersed housing subdivisions and scattered commercial establishments
connected through major thoroughfares.
A BURGEONING SUBURB
Population growth in the 1970s stood as the greatest percentage increase
among all Chicagos south suburbs as well as in Villages history. Constructed
in 1975, Orland Square Mall transformed the Village into a commercial, financial
and residential suburban center. Its construction unleashed a flood of nearby
commercial development, particularly along LaGrange Road. As an effort to
diversify the economic base, offices and industrial projects were targeted.
17
Accelerated growth patterns that had affected the north and west suburbs
found its way to southwestern areas of Cook County. New single family
homes were constructed at unprecedented rates due to plentiful undeveloped
land and cheaper prices. As land values rose, it became more profitable for
farmers to sell their land than to continue cultivating it.
By the early 1980s, it was clear that Orland was no longer a small farming
community, but a burgeoning suburb. Following trends of suburbanization,
rapid residential and commercial development expanded the original
boundaries as land was annexed into the Village. Subdivisions replaced
farm fields and the town evolved into a suburban center. An expanded water
and sewer system, roads, schools, parks and recreational areas helped to
attract new development. New public facilities were added, including a new
Village Center, library, police station, aquatic center, sports complex, parks,
train stations, and bike paths.
ORLAND PARK TODAY
Orland Parks growth over the past century epitomizes the economic and
population booms that engulfed Chicagos southwest suburbs. Today, its past
rural landscape is barely visible among its subdivisions and shopping malls.
Orland Park has become one of the most attractive suburban communities
southwest of Chicago. It has maintained its status as a regional commercial
center with a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options. As an
upscale suburb, Orland Park embraces a strong suburban character with a
variety of housing options, a well-connected transportation system, and an
abundance of recreational activities.
Over the past decade, the Village has continued to change with redevelopment
and new construction. Recent efforts have culminated in a new transitoriented downtown. The Main Street Downtown District is currently under
construction and highlights efforts to transform Orland Park from its classic
automobile-dependent suburb into an adaptive, modern Village.
1970
1995
1978
2016
LEFT: Aerial images of Orland Park, highlighting

unprecedented suburban development in the
Village from 1970 - 2016.
18
EARLY SETTLEMENT (1830 - 1870)

Orland Park originated as a small agricultural community with the first
European settlers arriving to the area in 1834. Prior to their arrival, the
area remained relatively untouched with the exception of Native American
inhabitants that engaged in hunting and gathering, simple farming, and
semi-permanent, small villages in the wider area over thousands of years.
While European explorers surveyed and settled in nearby Illinois areas
beginning in the 1670s, the Orland Park area attracted little attention.1
As a result, Orland Parks the first European settlers arrived to unaltered
landscapes of rolling hills, wetlands, woodlands, prairies, and open, fertile
grounds for farming.2
"Orland Park was shaped by the people who came, immigrants who despaired
of having a good life in the old country and looked to the new land for freedom
from want and for their share of happiness. They come to a rolling countryside
where birds of a hundred species gathered at the slough on migratory flights,
a land of tall prairie grasses, woods and fields, marsh and creek. The land was
there, a reward and a challenge. It would be a hard fight but it would lead to a
satisfying life and a new beginning."
Orland Heritage Book Association, 1991, 25
Over the next few decades, additional European settlers arrived in search
of land for farming.3 Immigrants, largely from England and Germany,
constructed small log cabins on farm land and established what was then
known as the English Settlement. Farmhouses dotted the rural landscape
and new institutions were built to support the small rural community. In
1848, the first post office was established and the first school was built in
the following year. In later years, as new settlers purchased land in the area,
additional small schools were constructed and a road was established.
By 1850, Orland Township was formed. With a population of 504, there were
approximately 78 small farms that covered 15% of the entire township.4
James H. Rees map of 1851, to the right, showcases the rural nature of
the township as well as the primacy of the entire Chicago region prior to
the construction of the railroad. Groves, marshes, and creeks dominated
the landscape and a few roads traversed the area, providing the only
connections to the nearby communities. Farms dotted the township and
typically included a small number of livestock and produced a mix of grain
crops, potatoes, and butter.
Over the next decade, the agricultural community nearly doubled. In
1860 The Townships population grew to 1,049 people and the number of
farms increased to 30% of land area. While the size of the farms generally
remained small, Orland was showing small signs of growth.
19
LEFT: Orland Township Map in 1851 showing the locations of farms, groves, marshes, and few
roads traversing the area (Rees, 1851); RIGHT: Hostert Cabins, built by two of the first settlers to
the area (Village of Orland Park Archives).
THE BEGINNINGS OF A TOWN (1880-1900)

THE WABASH RAILROAD
Orland Township remained an agricultural community with an increasing number
of farms and frame buildings scattered throughout the township. By 1880, the
township had a population of 1,208 and the number of farms reached to about
210, covering about 75% of the township land.5
Similar to other Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs in the late 19th century,
the Villages inception is tied to its rail stop. The emergence of the railroad
network across Chicago and its outlying areas in the 1850s and 1860s promoted
extensive development across the region. The Chicago Loop grew as it served
as a central hub for the expanding metropolitan region, with railroads providing
links between the downtown and surrounding settlements and depot stations.6,7
While settlement dates back to the 1830s, Orland Parks first real period
of growth did not occurred until the late 1800s with the construction of the
Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroads Sedgewick Station.8 Previously, the
lack of a rail station inhibited its growth as an agricultural center by making it
difficult for farmers to easily sell their agricultural goods and livestock. Farmers
had to travel long distances by wagon over mud and dirt roads to trade areas
such as Lockport, approximately 12 miles away. The Illinois and Michigan Canal
traversed Lockport and provided an established water transportation corridor
from Chicago to the Illinois River and Mississippi River.
But with the construction of the Wabash Railroad, which traveled from Chicago
to St. Louis, Orland transformed into a farm center. It triggered the development
of a small town that served as a commercial and transportation hub for the
surrounding farm community. Farmers and businesses obtained a new way to
directly and conveniently ship diary products and livestock to Chicago.9 With its
new access to the city center, Orland became a rural market town, spurring
a shift in agricultural production from grains to dairy products and livestock:
Orland became the starting point for cattle, arriving from the Chicago Union
Stock Yards, would be unloaded at Orland, then moved by the cattle drive out
to the farms to be fattened for market. After fattening, the cattle were returned
to Chicago for slaughter by way of the Wabash. 10,11 In addition to the cattle
and milk trains, the Wabash railroad accommodated passenger trains. By 1911,
eight daily trains ran from Orland to Chicago.12
"Orland Park was not laid out as a suburb,

but rather as a typical railroad town. In the
late 19th Century, the suburban ideal was
the garden suburb with curving streets unlike
the square and diagonal streets in towns like
Orland Park. However, Orland was from its
very foundation a suburb dependent upon
the metropolitan magnet that was Chicago.
Its economic activities were subsidiary to
Chicago as the fingers of the Chicago railways
web held the town firmly in its grasp."
LEFT: 1911 Railway Map; MIDDLE: Early farmstead (Village Archives); RIGHT: Orland Railroad Depot on the Wabash, St. Louis and
Pacific Railroad Line, circa 1890 (Village of Orland Park Archives; Orland Heritage Book Association, 1991, 54).
20
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DOWNTOWN

The first plat of the town in 1880 included 20 acres of land with about 200
lots. An additional 10 acres of land were added later that year and the first
dwelling unit was constructed.13,14 The town was officially incorporated
in 1892, with the original boundaries extending from approximately 143rd
Street to the north, 151st Street to the south, 94th Avenue to the east, and
West Avenue to the west.
The new station spurred growth, transforming the rural landscape into a
small commercial and shipping center that served the surrounding farms.
Immediately after the construction of the rail line in 1879, the first store was
established and a small commercial area sprouted along Union Avenue,
143rd Place, and Beacon Avenue near the train depot. A number of
businesses opened to support the growing farming community. By 1884,
two saloons, two general stores, a furniture store and a blacksmith and
wagon shop were located across the the Wabash railroad station.15
Orland Parks original downtown area, now called Old Orland, housed a
variety of uses that contributed to its small town character. Loebe Brothers
General Store sat on Union Street and became a mainstay, selling everything
from flour and grains to concrete, lumber, material and coal yards. The
Orland Hotel on Union Avenue was strategically constructed across from
the train depot to house travelers and included a saloon and restaurant. The
hotel served as the recreational area and part of its business was putting
up hunters from Chicago who were anxious to try their luck shooting game
birds in the area around Orland. As can be imagined, the hotel was not of
the luxurious type. It has small rooms and the guests had to make do with
an outdoor privy. However, to offset this, the hotel has a big bar, and a one
lane bowling alley was located directly behind the hotel. Next to the hotel
was an ice house, an invaluable auxiliary to the bar.16 Kruspes Saloon on
143rd Place was one of the towns watering holes and its one-story wing
served as a dance hall, drug store and gym. Entertainment was simple:
besides drinking and bowling in the one lane behind the Orland Hotel, there
were dances and buggy rides. There was also a large pond used for ice
harvesting in the winter and swimming in the summer17
21
TOP LEFT: Krupes Saloon on 143rd Place; TOP RIGHT: United Methodist Church & Twin
Towers on 144th Place circa 1900; BOTTOM LEFT: Orland Park Hotel on Union Avenue;
BOTTOM RIGHT: German Lutheran Church in 1898 at 143rd Street and West Avenue (Village
of Orland Park Archives, Orland Historical Society).
For the small size of the downtown, there were a large number of saloons. A
description of Orland Park in 1884 highlights the character of the town at that
time: "It may be mentioned in passing, and as showing the extreme temperance
proclivities of the citizens here, that in 1883, at the spring election, the question
of permitting a saloon to be established within the Village limits, was decided in
the affirmative, by the exceedingly popular vote of 98 to 1. As the place has a
population considerably less than two hundred, and now has two saloons, the
above vote indicates the unanimity of opinion in regard to the beneficial influence,
which their institutions wield over the morals of a community."18
There was a fierce struggle between the wets and the drys during the
towns early history.19 While travelers and residents were attracted to the
saloons, new churches were constructed to serve the local congregations. In
particular, the farming community as well as town residents attended the Christ
Lutheran Church and Orland Methodist Church, both of which still are located
in the Old Orland Historic District. Yet, any early efforts to reform the town
were unsuccessful It was certainly important that Orland get a religion so

the religious spirit might overcome the spiritus frumenti. Indeed many thought
that Orland was a conspicuous center the drinking and badly in need of serious
reform by the forces of progress... Orland would remain a drinking town until
prohibition was imposed on the nation.20
By 1897, the number of stores grew to include wagon shops, blacksmith shops,
a harness shop, a cobbler, a carpenter shop, and a post office.21 The town
center also included the original site of the Village Hall and firehouse, which had
its own jail calaboose. Other business included offices, a livery and feed shop, a
photography studio, and other small stores.22
The placement of the Wabash railroad and depot brought upon the historic
mixed-used character of the District that continues to exist today. Both the
commercial, municipal and religious institutions were crucial in building Orland
Park and were important places that served the local community.
LEFT: Orlands developing town in 1886. (L.M. Snyder & Co., 1886); MIDDLE: Original Village Hall on Beacon Avenue in the late 1800s; RIGHT: Post office located at Beacon Avenue and 143rd
Street (Village archives, Orland Historical Society).
22
RIGHT: Signs of growth in 1898 - a growing town and

farmland (Mitchell, 1898).
23
EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY (1900-1950)

Throughout the next few decades, Orland largely remained a farming community.
The population of the Village grew slowly, but inline with its rural character, more
people lived outside the Village limits in the unincorporated township at the turn
of the century. In 1900, 366 people lived in the Village and 1,296 people in total
resided in Orland Township. By 1940, the number of residents in the Village had
only grown to 631.23 By as late as 1949, over 15,000 thousand acres were still
farmed in Orland Township.24
During this period, a number of towns surrounding Chicago and tied to the
railroad networks began to shift into commuter settlements: As communities in
the city became more expensive and congested, railroads were simultaneously
expanding their lines away from the city. The logic and appeal of new suburban
communities on commuter rails became apparent. Developers aggressively
purchased and platted land adjacent to train stops and advertised their
respective new residential communities to prospective buyers.25 Commuter
enclaves around rail stations at the outer edges of the city allowed residents to
live further away from their jobs by traveling via daily passenger trains.
But, while Orland Park served a commuter population, it largely remained a

farming community during the early 20th century due to its agricultural economic
base and farther proximity from Chicago. The railroad was crucial to the early
development of the town, but it did not attract a large number of Chicagoans
or commuter residents in the early to mid 1900s. Instead, the town primarily
worked to provide transportation for agricultural goods as well as services to
the surrounding community.26 Cattle, milk, and passenger trains provided the
necessary link to move both people and goods. In 1902, there were ten trains
a day from Chicago to Orland Park, with a running time of about 70 minutes.27
Livestock pens were located near the depot at the southeast corner of 143rd
Street to house cows, hogs, and sheep awaiting shipment to the Chicago
stockyards via the Wabash railroad. The first brick building was erected to house
a livery stable, and the first high school was organized.
In 1920, Prohibition was enacted, ending the struggle between the wets and
the drys in the community. Saloons were converted into ice cream and soft
drink parlors. Other businesses included blacksmith shops, three general stores,
ABOVE: Birdseye aerial image of the Old Orland area, Orland Park's original downtown circa 1930 (Village Archives).
24
a train depot, a bank, a creamery, a lumber yard, a combination Village hall and
firehouse, a barber shop, a post office, a doctor, a dentist, and a baseball
diamond.28 Although businesses came and went, the town was deemed a
worthwhile shopping trip due to the concentration of goods and services
provided. Local shopkeepers all contributed to the community beyond the
mere marketing of essential goods. Their stores attracted outsiders to Orland
and served as gathering places to meet neighbors and friends and to exchange
news. In return, this friendly group of proprietors served the town as community
leaders.29 The end of Prohibition in 1933 restarted Orlands saloon economy.30
Immediately after Prohibition was repealed, three new saloons opened in town.
At the same time, new businesses opened or expanded with the town beginning
to show signs of the spirit of perseverance and commercial enterprise that led
to later expansion.31
"Change came slowly to Orland Park. At the turn of the century more
people lived outside of the village limits than within them, confirming the
agricultural character of the area. Although farm development peaked in
the 1880s it remained constant for many decades thereafter."
McGuire, Igleski & Associates, 2008, 18
Yet, despite Orland Park's progress toward becoming an established center,

some saw the Village as having little significance or appeal. E.J. Tarpley bluntly
described Orland Park in his writings for the Works Progress Administration
Federal Writers Project in 1936: There are no accommodations for tourists. No
scenic points of interest. No tours or model homes. No seasonal events. No
folk customs. No tours recommended. No industries. Town does not seem to
be going forward.32
PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
During this era of small growth, Orlands small town became quite a progressive
community through its adoption of new infrastructure and technology. After the
turn of the century, Orland Park established its own municipal water supply
behind the original Village Hall, telephone lines were completed by the Chicago
Telephone Company, and concrete sidewalks were installed in place of the old
wooden ones.33 By 1914, Orland Park was the only Village between Chicago
and Joliet with its own municipal water system, cement sidewalks, and gas
street lamps.34 While these progressive changes were changing the nature of
the rural Village, change occurred slowly. By 1920, there was still no electricity
or paved roads and few automobiles or farm tractors - It was still the age of
the horse and wagon, kerosene lamps.35 Electricity was installed in 1922,
eventually spreading to the surrounding farming community in the years later.
25
TOP: Middle Street, now 143rd Place, circa 1900 looking east. Middle Street featured wooden
sidewalks, a bakery, and general store; BOTTOM: View of the town in the 1900s, with the
German Lutheran Church to the left and Twin Towers on the right (Village archives, Orland
Historical Society).
"Perhaps a visiting writer with only a brief time to observe ... might
come to believe that Orland was not moving forward. But from 1920 to
1945 the people of Orland Park worked together to pull through three
successive periods of great difficulty and avoided many of the calamites
that befell similar communities across the country. With its young men
returning from the war and its sense of pride and mutual respect intact,
Orland Park was well-positioned to prosper in the post-war boom years."
MCGINNIS
SLOUGH
LEFT: Aerial image of the

original downtown and
vicinity in 1938.
LAGRANGE ROAD
143RD STREET
TOP RIGHT: Orland Park

Boundaries in 1940 per the
Census Enumeration District
Map (U.S. National Archives
and Records Administration
1940 Census Enumeration
District Maps - Illinois - Cook
County - Orland - ED 16392, ED 16-393).
1938
BOTTOM RIGHT: Twin

Towers (left) and the Loebe
home (right) in the early
1900s (Village archives,
Orland Historical Society).
26
But transportation routes were limited, with only a few dirt

roads traversing the area. Besides the railroad, the town was
largely disconnected to its outlying farms and neighboring
towns. The roads made it difficult to travel, becoming good,
juicy mud whenever it rained.36 Orland was described as a
sea of mud as wagons would groan in the hub deep mud
and four horses were required to pull normal loads.37 The first
road was graveled in 1910. It was not until 1929 that 143rd
Street was paved.38 Testifying to its slow development, the
majority of streets, with the exception of the three highways
passing through the Village, remained unpaved up until the
1950s.39,40 According to one source, the gradual change
occurred for two main reasons: First, the farm economy
nationwide weakened long before the Depression officially
started in 1929. Orland was essentially a farm town and so
there simply was not much money around to spend on new
products. Second, the people were very conservative, and it
took quite a while for them to believe in new ways of doing
things.41
With the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929, Orland
Park struggled but maintained its rural character and
downtown: Orland was not particularly prosperous in the
1920sTimes were hard during the Depression, but so
few people ever had luxuries, few people missed them.
There was unemployment and an acute lack of currency.42
The Depression particularly hurt farmers. Due to financial
difficulties, the Wabash railroad reduced train services
during the 1930s, which limited trade. Yet, As a rural Village,
there was little wealth to lose and the community provided
for each other as best they could when necessary. Despite
the bleak outlook nationally, the progressive programs of
the Roosevelt Administration benefited the community
during the 1930s. Simultaneously, a renewed energy
toward commercial enterprise boosted the community and
precipitated its expansion about 20 years later.43
27
"In 1920, Orland had no electricity, no paved roads, few automobiles, and a
few farm tractors. It was still the age of horse and wagon, kerosene lamps, and
traveling medicine shows. The village had about three blacksmith shops and a
livery stable. The train was the easiest was out of town. The train service was, in
fact, as good or better than it is today. The Orland State Bank had one employee
and was located at the corner of a meat market on Beacon Avenue."
LEFT: The construction of 144th Place circa 1945; RIGHT: A rural road in the Village (Village of Orland Park Archives).
SUBURBAN EMERGERGENCE DURING THE POST-WAR YEARS (1950s-1960s)

Up until the 1950s, Orland Park was still largely dominated by agriculture
with development primarily concentrated around the original downtown and
train station. It was only until after WWII that Orland Park slowly began to
take on the identity of a Chicago suburb and attract new residents.
In 1950, the population was 788, which had little more than doubled since
1900. Between 1950-1960, the population grew 289%, from 788 people
in 1950 to 2,592 in 1960.44 Land values began to rise with the return of
soldiers seeking new housing. In planning for growth, new improvements,
such as the extension of water and sewer systems, utilities and roads, were
implemented, further increasing land values and making the area attractive
to housing developers and new residents. New schools and churches began
appearing across Orland Parks growing boundaries in order to serve the
growing population.
SLOW SUBURBAN START
The construction of the interstate highway system beginning in the 1950s
reworked patterns of growth and development. The significance of the
railroad faded away and disconnected rural areas were incorporated into
the regional network system. Amid federal insurance programs for housing,
suburbanization became the new trend.45 New suburban centers in the
Chicago metropolitan region, such as Oak Brook, Schaumburg, emerged
along interstate highways around major shopping centers, corporate
headquarters, professional office complexes, and residential subdivisions.
Yet, Orland Parks population in 1960 was considerably small compared
to other post-war boomtowns in the Chicago area. While the Village was
expanding, exponential growth largely occurred elsewhere. The west and
north suburbs largely attracted the first post-war suburban development.
Between the mid 1950s and 1960s, the bulk of suburban employment
gains and location of industry occurred in the north, northwest, and west
suburbs.46
Conversely, the south and southwest suburban suburbs exhibited

significantly less growth. For example, from 1957-1966, the greatest number
of new jobs created in the Chicago metropolitan area occurred in the west
suburbs with 126,000 new jobs, followed by the north and northwest
suburbs with 117,600 new jobs, and the south and southwest suburbs with
only 33,400 new jobs.47 Some south and southwest communities such as
Oak Lawn, Evergreen Park, Blue Island, and Harvey, experienced significant
employment growth, but Orland Park was largely outside of this trend.
However, the construction of nearby expressways in the 1960s and 1970s,
including the Stevenson Expressway (I-55), the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), I-80
and Route 57, would eventually bring new access to the Orland Park area.
Residential, commercial and office development would extended to Orland
Park as its population growth was strongly influenced by the dispersion
of people and industry throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area in the
future.48
ORLAND PARK POPULATION
1900-1960
3,000
2,592
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
788
366
1900
369
1910
343
1920
571
631
1930
1940
1950
1960
ABOVE: Orland Park's population increase from 1900-1960 (U.S. Census).
28
SUBURBAN EMPLOYMENT GAINS (1957-1968)
SPROUTING SHOPPING CENTERS: EXTENDING DOWNTOWN

By 1950, the Villages economic base and downtown had not changed much. Business
establishments in the downtown and surrounding area included:49
- Grocery store
- General store
- Ford Tractor Agency
- International Harvester Agency
- Lumber yard
- Building contractor
- Two electric appliance stores
- Automobile repair garage
- Coal, lumber and feed store

- Feed store
- Two barber shops
- Two eating places
- Five taverns
- Bank
- Hatchery, 5 miles from town
- Dairy, 5 miles from town
While new retail and services accommodated a growing demand, Of the surrounding Villages,
only Palos Heights and Tinley Park have shopping facilities adequate to supplement those of
Orland Park. In these towns are found hardware stores, large food Supermarkets, 5-and-10
stores, clothing stores, bakeries, and drug stores.50
Orland Park began to slowly follow suburban development patterns, with new development
spatially dispersed throughout the Village along roads and highway routes.51 The pattern
of development resulted in new shopping centers and the shift from the original downtown
to outlying areas. Growth was no longer base on the Wabash railroad but on the rise of the
automobile. During this period, farmland was slowly converted into larger subdivisions and
commercial establishments to support the increasing number of residents.
ABOVE: Chicago Suburban Employment Gains from 1957-1966 (Wm. S.

Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park Plan Commission, A Comprehensive
Plan for Orland Park, Illinois, B-11).
29
In particular, shopping centers became the engine of Orland Parks growth, transforming it
from a quite farm town into one of Chicagos fastest growing suburbs. In 1956, Orland Plaza,
at 143rd Street was constructed, effectively leading to the relocation of Orland State Bank
from Old Orland to LaGrange Road. The following year the post office relocated as well. A
new grocery store and drug store were opened to increase shopping and services.52 In 1963,
Orland Parks number of businesses grew to 27 and by 1967, that number had grown to 36.53
Through the 1960s, retail sales generally lagged rather substantially behind the potential
retail sales by people in the area.54 Although retail sales grew alongside the increase in
population, retail facilities catering to the consumer needs of the community at present will
be through the future given the size of the future population living in and around the present
boundaries of Orland Park.55
"Things changed when the automobile came to

town. The doctor was the first to use the auto to
get around, and he liked it so well that he started
a salesroom and garage ... This was about 1911 ...
Orland was beginning to get out of the mud. The
road to the east of 94th Ave. was stoned as was the
road to the south to Orland Center. Little by little,
the nearby towns were connected by stone roads
so that the new automobile could be used. City
Chicago streets came right through the country
after the First World War, and Orland is now on
federal and state highways."
Hochberg, "Grandpa Remembers Early Orland Park," The
Palos Regional, 1981
LEFT: 143rd Street

during the 1960s (Village
Archives, Orland Heritage
Book Association, 127).
30
Although businesses were moving out of the original downtown, the Old Orland
area continued to contribute to Orland Parks economic base. As noted in the
1969 Comprehensive Plan, overall buildings remained in generally sound structural
condition with only a handful of dwellings in need of repairs or were dilapidated. Yet,
the future role of the original downtown was correctly projected: The traditional
central business district of the Village has been replaced by the Orland Plaza Shopping
Center. The Plaza is a neighborhood size center and has served the community well.
With the population expected to reach some 27,000 to 30,000 by 1985 in the Village
alone, a suitable location should be chosen for a regional shopping center.56
THE BEGINNINGS OF A RESIDENTIAL BOOM
A huge surge in new residential construction occurred in the Chicago Metropolitan
area in the post-war years.57 The housing market shifted to larger, more expensive
single family homes in outlying areas of the city.58 Similar to the location of industry
and commerce, by 1969, new housing construction was concentrated in Chicagos

northwestern-western and northern suburbs. Lying just beyond the development
fringe of Chicago, Orland Parks population and residential development remained
relatively low compared to other southwest communities during the 1950s.59 During
the late 60s, housing construction began to boom in the suburbs adjacent to Orland
Park, particularly Oak Forest, Palos Hills, and Tinley Park.60 Remaining vacant,
developable land quickly diminished in these nearby suburbs areas. As a result,
Orland Park was next in line offering extensive land for development.
In 1957, the first major subdivision was planned near 135th Street and Southwest
Highway. Orland Park Hills, which included over 600 homes, offered both an
affordable price and new prefabricated design. It marked the beginning of Orland
Parks unprecedented residential development, and other residential subdivisions
soon followed, such as Fairway Estates in 1960 and Maycliff in 1962.
LEFT: Orland Plaza on 143rd Street and LaGrange Road (Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park Plan Commission, A Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park, Illinois, G-7.5);
RIGHT: Photograph of Orland Plaza and Marquette Bank in 2014 (BRC Photography. Marquette Bank, Orland Park, ILL. Flickr. June 16, 2014. https://www.flickr.com/photos/9385421@
N08/14438110972/)
31
From roughly 19601970, Orland Parks housing doubled. According to the 1960
Census, there were 696 dwelling units in the Village and by 1968 there were 1,407.61
Of the 711 new housing units, 92% were predominately single family homes. During
that same period the median value of owner occupied units rose almost 23%.
As new housing dotted the Village, new types of residents moved in. In 1960, the
Village included a larger portion of younger residents between 25-34, had one of the
highest education levels compared to the surrounding communities according to the
percentage of the population with high school degrees, and contained a relatively
stable median family income.62 Residents primarily worked in professional and
technical jobs as well as craftsmen, foremen, and clerical workers. Very few non-white
families lived in the area. The wave of new housing would soon turn the Village into a
strong middle and upper class community.
Some residents showed concern over new development and the influx of residents.
Concerns over growth would continue over the next few decades. According to one
resident, At one point, you had this competition between Old Orland and Orland
Park Hills. Then a new area, Fairway, came along and Old Orland and Orland Park
HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN ORLAND PARK AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

1960-1968
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1960
1961
1962
Orland Park
1963
Oak Forest
1964
1965
Palos Heights
1966
1967
1968
Tinley Park
TOP: Housing construction in Orland Park and nearby suburbs from 1960-1968 (Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park Plan Commission, A Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park, Illinois,
B-23 - B-24); BOTTOM LEFT AND MIDDLE: Orland Hills Subdivision (Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park Plan Commission, A Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park, Illinois, H-9); BOTTOM RIGHT: Model homes in 1950s circa 1950s (Orland Heritage Book Association, 1991, 124; Village Archives).
32
Hills joined forces to keep these newcomers out of office.63 The University of Chicago's Plan
for the Andrew Corporation and Orland Park in 1951 also highlights some of concerns over new
development: The only interest in local affairs which most of the people of Orland Park feel
appears to be an interest in keeping taxes low. Because they believe that further development of
the community would result in higher taxes, most of the are apparently opposed to it.64
LAND USES IN 1951
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
Municipal improvements were necessary to make way for new subdivisions and development
projects. During the mid 1950s, water and sewage systems were constructed and expanded to
serve newly incorporated areas. Additionally, transportation improvements and the construction of
new roads were initiated. Major thoroughfares included LaGrange Road, Harlem Avenue, Wolf Road,
151st Street, 159th Street, and 143rd Street, which remain major streets today. These improvements
were vital in attracting prominent residential, commercial and manufacturing projects.
THE ANDREW CORPORATION
Alongside the development of new housing, retail establishments, and shopping plazas, new
industries emerged. In 1953, the Andrew Corporation constructed a telecommunications
manufacturing facility in Orland Park.66 By 1960, the company relocated their company headquarters
and all of their Chicago-based operations to Orland Park. In many ways, the Andrew Corporation was
crucial to the Village's development, not only through providing steady employment opportunities,
but also from civic involvement. As they grew into a global communications equipment industry,
the company assisted with a number of buildings and contributions to projects including churches,
schools and recreation, and the library.67 The Andrew Corporation became the largest employer in
Orland Park over the following decades. After about five decades of manufacturing communications
equipment, the facility closed in 2007.
LAND USES
In 1951, commercial development existed almost exclusively on 143rd Street near the original
downtown. By 1969, retail establishments extended outward along LaGrange Road. Industrial
development was still rather limited. By the end of the 1960s, the predominant land use was
single family with a major portion of the Village dedicated to open space and Cook County Forest
Preserves.65 The following land use maps highlights changes in development patterns between
1951 and 1969.
33
ABOVE: Existing Land Use in 1951 (University of Chicago & Andrew

Corporation, Toward a Plan for the Andrew Corporation and the Orland Park
Community, 85)
LAND USES IN 1968
LAND USE
ACRES
Single Family
Farmsteads
Multifamily
Retail
Manufacturing (Light)
Manufacturing (Heavy)
Auto
Quasi Public
Parks
Forest Preserve
Railroads
Streets
Water
275.93
2.06
1.80
25.96
6.65
59.76
5.98
14.67
13.21
228.36
22.65
153.62
92.66
Total Land Used

Land In Corporate Limits
Total Vacant Land
903.65
2020.18
1116.53
LEFT: Land use map of Orland Park and

the surrounding areasand land use calculations inside the corporate limits of
Orland Park in 1968 (Wm. S. Lawrence &
Associates, Inc. & Orland Park Plan Commission, 1969, p. D-3 - D-5).
34
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING EFFORTS
PROPOSED LAND USE PLAN IN 1951
As Orland Park began to show its first signs of growth, a handful of comprehensive
plans were developed to manage change over the next decades. Early plans
highlight the ways in which Orland Park began transforming into a suburb.
Toward a Plan for the Andrew Corporation and the Orland Park Community (1951)
With the assistance of the University of Chicago, the Andrew Corporation may
have created one of Orland Parks first attempts at a master plan. In 1951,
Toward a Plan for the Andrew Corporation and the Orland Park Community: A
Pre-Planning Report introduced a proposal to locate the Andrew Corporations
new manufacturing facility in Orland Park as well as concepts for development
surrounding the site. The document not only focuses on a proposed 420-acre
site for a modern manufacturing facility and alternative options for a planned
community of residential and civic uses surrounding the plant, but also on broader
recommendations for future of Orland Park.
Recognizing future trends and foreseeing the next twenty years will be crucial
in the growth of the Orland Park area, the plan aimed to assist with guiding future
policy decisions and land uses for the Village as a whole.68 It repeatedly declared
that steps needed to be made to ensure that the pattern of future development
would not be unplanned or uncontrolled. According to the report,
unplanned and uncontrolled development may bring Orland Park within
the typical suburban sprawl pattern of the metropolitan region, a pattern
sometimes known as rurbanization. This pattern is characterized by
elements of both urban and rural development, but lacks some of the
major advantages of each. Population densities are usually too low to
permit economic provision of the amenities and services offered by the
urban community. At the same time most of the spacious charm of country
living is also lacking, or at least threated by the imminent encroachment
of an indiscriminate mixture of uncontrolled land uses such as roadside
stores and taverns, factories, country clubs, airports, and speculative
residential constructionModern development in the field of cooperative
community action have proved that positive steps can be taken to prevent
indiscriminate ruban growth. Community planning, with its tools of
35
LEFT: Proposed Land Use Plan in 1951 (University of Chicago & Andrew Corporation,
Toward a Plan for the Andrew Corporation and the Orland Park Community, 85).
rezoning, building codes, a master development plan, and continuing

citizen participation, has proved highly effective in guiding community
development into desirable channels for the growth and maintenance
of healthy, efficient, and attractive living and working conditions.69
The 1951 plan envisioned the future of Orland Park as a modern suburb that
needed to shed its agricultural past: Although the Village of Orland Park
originated as a farm market town at the junction of a railway and two roads, its
more important function today is that of residence for workers in the industries
of Chicago and a number of its southwest suburbs.70 The proposed planned
community for the Andrew Corporation as well as many of the recommendations
for Orland Park never came to fruition. Yet, the plan highlighted the need for
comprehensive planning due to Village-wide concerns prior to 1950 and marked
the first attempt at creating broad, long-range objectives and strategies that
would guide the growth of Orland Park into the future.
A Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park (1969)
Similar to the plan presented by the University of Chicago and the Andrew
Corporation, the 1969 Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park cautioned of future
growth without proper planning. Concerned over rapid growth, an overall Village
plan was created to study the area, establish goals and policies to guide new
development, draft land use plans, and set a comprehensive strategy for the
future. At that time Orland Parks population was about 5,000 people, but by
the 1990s, the expected growth was to be between 40,000 - 50,000 residents.
Cautioning on growth without proper planning, the plan notes:
Haste makes waste, development without planning makes chaos.
The Village of Orland Park must avoid both. It is not difficult to image
the amount and the speed with which new development will occurred
in the Orland Park area when the new Metropolitan Sanitary District
interceptor sewer is completed. What is difficult and more important is
to be prepared to guide this new growth to achieve the greatest benefit
along with quality and an acceptable environment.71
In seeking balanced growth, a break from its past was necessary. No longer
would a small downtown and limited housing suffice: Orland Parks outlook
should be pointed to the future to achieve the greatest balanced developmental
growth. The potential in this area is so great in relation to what has happened
in the past that any discussion of the economic factors in planning would be
seriously remiss if it was limited to merely a projection of what has already
occurred in the community, but it is necessary to start the discussion at that
point.72
The 1969 Plan suggested major projects that would never materialized, but
if implemented, would have dramatically changed the course of the Villages
development. These proposed projects also highlighted the planning mentalities
during the beginnings of suburbanization in which they were proposed. For
example, two major highways were proposed through the center of Orland
Park. The two proposed highways were intended to connect to nearby existing
highways, including I-80, I-295, I-55, I-57, I-94. Interchanges were recommended
on LaGrange Road and just south of 151st Street or at 147th Street, as well as on
151st Street just west of Wolf Road, and 131st and Southwest Highway. It was
believed that transportation was vital to economic development as one of the
more important needs of our society is the effective and expedient movement
of people and commodities. This need has been met with the development of
a highly complex system of transportation which is literally the lifeline of this
nation.With the rapid growth predicted for the Orland Park area and the plans
for two new expressway locations closely connected to the Village, considerable
additions and improvements will be needed to the local street systems.73
According to the plan, the lack of highway transportation connecting to adjacent
communities and Chicago was marked as a major reason for lack of previous
development in the area.74 New highways and major roads were necessary
to link Orland Park to Chicago and outlying areas: Transportation has had a
fundamental impact of the development of Orland Park. This will continue to be
the case in the years to come, but the extent of this impact will depend on the
communitys ability to meet modern traffic requirements.75
Access through effective transportation was crucial to connecting urban centers,
places of employment, commerce, and social, educational, and recreational
activities. New highways would allow employees to live farther away from
36
their work place and commute between Chicago, nearby suburbs, and Orland
Park. They would also attract new industry, a rising population, and economic
development bolstered by an increase in automobile traffic into and out of town:
With the construction of two interstate highways close to and possibly through
the Village of Orland Park will provide the means of linking Orland Park directly
with central Chicago and outlying businesses and residential areas. These
centers will continue to spin off old industries and to promote new ones and
people continue to be attracted to the suburbs for residence.76
In addition to highway and road improvements, the 1969 Plan also called for
connectivity and transportation improvements by locating a new major airport
in the southwest Chicago near Orland Park. As Chicagolands third airport, in
addition to Midway and OHare, the new airport would further promote future
growth and secure Orland Park as a major town in the south and southwest
suburbs.
In the late 1960s, residential construction was beginning to emerge in Orland Park.
As such, the 1969 Comprehensive Plan focused on new housing construction
as one of the primary factors in the Villages future growth. Alongside new
transportation and infrastructure improvements, Orland Park and the southwest
suburbs were next in line for the coming residential boom: The housing market
looks good through the planning period particularly in the southwest portion of
37
Cook County due to the availability of large tracts of land suitable for residential
division development at relatively low cost and due to the proposed highways,
which will be built through this area which will open up this section of the
Chicago SMSA, previously lacking expressway accessibility.77 People would
undoubtedly be attracted to the Village: the desire of people to want to live in
Orland Park will be very great.The most important piece of information above
all to be remembered is that there will be a high demand through the immediate
future and beyond for developers to build here, for businesses to establish
plants here, and for people to live here.78
Comprehensive planning was considered necessary to ensure the community
formed in a proper and balanced manner. The increase in new homes created
a need for new schools, churchs, shopping centers, recreational area, and
commercial and office buildings. As such, recreational needs, open spaces,
schools, public buildings, and utilities were also a major focus of improvements
needed to meet the growing populations needs and manage growth. The new
sewage treatment facility, attractiveness of the community in relation to the
amenities provided for suburban living (good schools, open spaces, clean air
and environment, broad housing market, decentralized political institutions,
good employment opportunities, etc.) and the annexation of surrounding
unincorporated land were all touted as major forces that would aid growth in
Orland Park.79
LEFT: Proposed Land

Use Plan in 1969 (Wm. S.
Lawrence & Associates,
Inc. & Orland Park Plan
Commission,
1969,
H-7).
38
A BURGEONING SUBURB (1970s-2000s)

By the end of the 1960s, Orland Park could not realize the unprecedented
growth that would occurred over the next decades. Population growth in the
1970s stood as the greatest percentage increase among all Chicagos south
suburbs as well as in Orland Parks history.80 In 1970, the Orland Park had a
population of 6,391 people. By 1980, the population surged 261% to 23,045
people.81 Within an influx of 16,654 people in one decade, Orland Park no
longer served as a farming community, but became a burgeoning suburb. The
population continued to rise, with 23,045 people in 1980, 34,391 people in 1990,
and 51,077 in 2000.82 From 2000-2010, while the population rose by 11%, it had
finally began to taper off.
At first, in the late 1970s, Orland Parks suburban growth was puzzling. The
southwest region as a whole remained largely undeveloped compared to the
rest of the Chicago metropolitan area.83 Booming suburbs such as Schaumburg
and Naperville attributed their phenomenal growth to their proximity to major
expressways, tollways, heavily traveled commuter railroads, sprawling corporate
office complexes, and high-technology research centers.84 Yet, Orland Park had
little if none of these features. At that time, the Village was miles away from the
nearest expressway. The Regional Transportation Authority operates only four
Norfolk Southern trails a day through the suburb compared with dozens of trails on
lines serving other communities. Development of major-league office parks, with
hundreds of thousands of square feet in each project, is still a gleam in the eyes of
Village planners.85 In 1977, one Chicago Tribune article noted, Nobody knows for
sure why Orland Park is booming, but anyone who happens through this suburb,
23 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, is left with little doubt its true. Heres
a sleepy, little Village suddenly come awake. Its first housing, still standing, dates
back to 1890, and its next housing springs daily from the ground.86
Despite confusions or doubts, Orland Park became one of the most attractive
suburban communities southwest of Chicago. One article noted it was Orland
Parks time for growth: Since World War II the suburbs have become an
economic, social, cultural and political phenomenon. In the 60s Du Page County
blossomed, in the 70s the development around Schaumburg and Hoffman
Estates mushroomed and in the 80s one place that has the potential to be the
39
next generation of massive growth is the Orland area.87

Following a new model of suburbanization, a rapid extension of Village
boundaries occurred as land was annexed. A newly expanded water and sewer
system was installed, which allowed for the construction of new subdivisions as
well as the population to increase.88 New single family homes were constructed
at unprecedented rates due to plentiful undeveloped land and cheaper prices
than the north, northwest, and west suburbs.89 Improvements to the educational
system were also underway as one-room school houses were replaced with
larger, modern school buildings that could accommodate increasing enrollment
and new school districts. New roads, parks, and recreational areas also helped
to attract and guide the development of prominent residential, commercial and
manufacturing projects. In the late 1980s, construction began on a new Metra
station at 153rd Street. The Village Center Complex was completed in 1989 to
accommodate a new Village hall, civic center, and recreational center.
Continued growth led to the conversion of farm land into residential communities,
shopping centers, and office complexes. With the construction of the Orland
Square Mall, Orland Park became a new regional shopping center with
almost every retail outlet and restaurant available. The relocation of corporate
headquarters to the suburbs and rapid housing developments shifted economic
development strategies. The southwest region was also becoming a new
frontier for metropolitan development, with both major population and business
growth.91 In the 1990s, many began to compare development in the southwest
to what had occurred in DuPage County and other northwestern suburbs two
decades prior in the 1960s and 1970s.
By the early 1980s, it was clear that Orland was no longer a small farming
community. Prices for land grew from about $7,000 at the end of 1985 to up
to $20,000 an acre in 1987 for smaller parcels.92 As land values rose, it became
more profitable for farmers to sell their land than to continue cultivating it. For
these reasons, the overall character of the Village shifted to that of a burgeoning
suburb: The improvements in the Village water and sewer systems in the next
15 years made Orland Park an attractive site for residential developers. As
farmland increased in value, farmers, reluctant to sell but intent on securing their

1900-1950
900
788
The 1970s changed Orland Park forever. By the end of the

800
Orland Park the farm town was gone. 631

In its place
571
stood Orland Park the booming residential
and business
600
community. Orlands Village Board and Plan Commission
500
369
366
343 to include parks, landscaping,
negotiated
with
developers
400
and other amenities in their properties. The professional
300
staff devoted countless hours to creating a community that
200
offered
an exceptional quality of life.
100
decade,
700
1900
1920 Heritage
1930
1940 1991, 230
1950
Orland
Book Association,
1910

1950-2010
60,000
56,767
51,077
50,000
40,000
34,391
30,000
23,045
20,000
10,000
788
1950
2,592
LEFT: Orland Park's population growth from 1950-2010 (U.S. Census).
6,391
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
RIGHT: Topographic Map of Orland Park, with purple areas highlighting the extension
of urban areas in 1963 to 1973 / 1980 (United States Geological Survey, Palos Park,
Tinley Park Mokena, and Sag Bridge Quadrangle Maps, Scale 1:24,000, 1974 Edition
(1963, photorevised 1973 and 1980, Historical Topographic Map Collection).
40
financial futures, found it more profitable to sell their land to developers rather
than farm it. Higher land taxes and increasingly expensive farming methods cut
sharply into profits. As a result, farming as a way of life in Orland Park began
to wane.93 By 1986, Orland Park was deemed the second-fastest growing
community based on the number of building permits issued and the scope of
construction activity, only behind Naperville in the west suburbs.94
THE RISE OF THE MALL AND SURROUNDING SHOPPING CENTERS
Prior to the 1970s, Orland Park had grown to accommodate a small retail
and service center, but most residents continued to rely on nearby larger
towns and Chicago for shopping, health care, and jobs. Yet after the 1970s,
the unprecedented increase in retail establishments and shopping centers
transformed the Village. Between 1970 and 1984, approximately 2 million square
feet of retail was built in the Village.95 During the same period, the population
rose from 6,391 to about 25,000, highlighting both the substantial commercial
and residential growth. Retail sales increased 115%, from $8,231,863 in 1967 to
$17,699,000 in 1972.96
Orland Parks success was secured with the construction of Orland Square
Mall. In 1976, Orland Square Mall was constructed at 151st and LaGrange
Road on land previously used for farming. The construction of Orland Square
Mall coincided with the national trend of developing major shopping centers in
suburban areas within the outer rings of a citys metropolitan area.97 The location
of a major regional shopping center with about 1.2 million square feet of retail
space secured Orland Park as a prominent suburb and the commercial hub of
the southwest Chicago region.
While some suburban communities primarily focused on redeveloping farmland
for housing for ex-urbanites, Orland Park burgeoned also as a prominent
commercial center. As written in a Chicago Tribune article in 1983, to be put
on the map, [a Village] need something more than tract homes as far as the eye
can see, with fix-figure price tags and two-car attached garages that are the
homes most prominent architectural trait. Very often, it takes a super-regional
shopping mall to make a place like Orland Park, a little more than a cow town
a decade ago, into a household word for thousands of southwest suburban
41
residents. Suffice it to say, Orland Park would not be what it is today were it not
for the sprawling Orland Square shopping mallEven without Orland Square,
the inexorable suburban sprawl of the 1970s would have seen the Village grow
as acre after acre was annexed and households filled with families sprang from
the ground as bountifully as crops once had.98
It was Orland Square Mall that put the Village on the map. The Mall is commonly
seen as one of the most important elements that led to the growth of Orland Park,
spurring a new wave of building and transforming the Village into a commercial,
financial and residential suburban center. It became a regional center and a
catalyst for other related commercial and office activity. This related activity will
help to form a new commercial core at the intersection of 151st Street and
LaGrange Road.99 Prior to its construction, Orland Park still had limited retail
establishments both in the Village and nearby. After, large anchors such as
Marshall Fields, JCPenney, Carson Pirie Scott, and Sears, as well as hundreds
of other smaller shops and restaurants served the Village as well as surrounding
towns. The brilliant gem brought some of the best products the world has to
offer right to the doors of Orland Park residents.100 It bolstered the Villages tax
base and branded Orland Parks image as a growing, affluent community. The
substantial retail sales tax revenue from the mall and restaurants, services, and
copycat malls that surround it like satellites around a larger planet became the
key to the Villages financial success.101 Property taxes were able to remain low
for residents compared to other burgeoning municipalities. In 1985, Orland Park
generated a totaled of $4.6 million in sales tax revenue about 40 percent of total
Village revenues.102
The importance of the construction of Orland Square Mall is aptly described
by John Stuart Humphrey, the son of John Humphrey, the first mayor and
credited founder of Orland Park. At a speech at the opening on the mall in 1976,
Humphrey stated:
One time I wished to live long enough to see the result of the trip to
the moon. You may remember, the scientists were uncertain whether
or not the crust of the moon would support the weight of a man and
how carefully Neil Armstrong took that first step. Well, Ive lived long
enough to see the result of that great adventure. Then when I head
"In typical suburban fashion, the major impetus for the turnaround in the
erstwhile farmtown was the construction of a shopping mall. Orland Square ...
immediately began drawing shoppers from surrounding south and southwest
suburbs. Whether the developers of the mall foresaw the area's inevitable
growth or the mall itself fed the potential, Orland Park - like Schaumburg
with Woodfield and Oak Brook with Oakbrook Center before it - became
inextricably linked to its retail mecca. The mall brought a tremendous
commercial rush to La Grange Road, with every imaginable business from
fast foods to health clubs competing."
Steve Kerch, Orland Park: From a Farm Town to a Boom Town: Village's Growth Continues
the Pace Started in 1960s, Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1986, 3
LEFT: Chicago
area
map illustrating the void
of major retail centers
within a 10 mile radius of
Orland Park prior to the
construction of the Orland
Square Mall (Wm. S.
Lawrence and Associates,
A Supplementary Report
to the Comprehensive
Plan, 1975, 20).
RIGHT: The construction
of Orland Square Mall
in 1976, surrounded
my farmland - looking
northwest (Village of
Orland Park Archives).
42
of this multi-million dollar shopping center being planned for Orland Park, I hoped
to live long enough to see that completed. Do you realize that Orland Square with
Marshall Fields and the other stores and shops will mean more to each of us in
Orland park than did that trip to the moon. Personally, I am both sorry and glad to
see Orland Square coming to completion. Now I have no future event to look forward
to with expectation and I can but repeat what I think my father would say if he were
here Orland, youve come a long way baby!103
The redevelopment of the 103-acre site highlights the shift from farm land to a typical suburban
environment. Initial planning for the Orland Square Mall illustrates the Villages prior overall
lack of development. The few roads traversing Orland Park were inadequate to support new
traffic to the mall. New thoroughfares were needed. As a result, 151st Street was extended
from 80th Avenue to Harlem, Harlem was extended south from 149th Street to 191st Street,
and roads were widened.104
The mall unleashed a flood of nearby commercial development, particularly along LaGrange
Road between 143rd Street and 159th Street.105 Orland Park Place, the second largest mall
with800,000 square feet of retail, was constructed shortly after in the 1980s. Originally
named Orland Court, the mall is located directly south of Orland Square Mall. Similar to the
mall, it also replaced a farm.106 Additional shopping centers followed, capitalizing on the
growing market area and residential population. This includes Lakeview Plaza (159th Street
and LaGrange Road), Horton Center (John Humphrey Drive), Regent Plaza (151st Street
and Regent Drive), Sevillle Plaza (8900 159th Street), and Highland Plaza (153rd Street and
LaGrange Road).107
In the 1990s, Orland Park had about 5 million square feet of store space, which to put it in
perspective is 800,000 square feet more in retail space than the gargantuan Mall of America in
Bloomington, Minnesota.108 The Villages strong retail base secured it as a regional shopping
center for the south and southwest suburbs and provided more than $8 million a year in
sales-tax revenues, amounting to more than half of the Village's annual budget.
Extensive commercial development along LaGrange Road led to some challenges. For
example, Orland Park Place south of the mall remained largely vacant after it opened and the
original developer went bankrupt soon after.109 Yet, overall, the onslaught of retail development
helped to further bolster residential development and provided a growing community supported
by an increase in sale tax revenue and services to residents.
43
ABOVE: Farm on 94th Avenue, which was converted into the Orland Park
Place shopping center (Orland Heritage Book Association, The Orland Story:
From Prairie to Pavement, 217).
BEFORE & AFTER: THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORLAND SQUARE MALL
1970
1978
"Retailers almost seem to be waiting in line to grab a spot in Orland Park's bustling commercial sector along La Grange
Road between 143rd and 159th Streets. The wide-open spaces are vanishing steadily along this 2-mile stretch of stores
and businesses, which is less than a decade old. Led by Orland Square Mall, between 147th and 151st Streets, shopping
malls report few vacancies, and new centers say they are having little trouble attracting tenants."
Jane Michaels, Orland Park Business Boom La Grange Road Sites the Main Target for New Retail Rush, Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1986, 7
LEFT: Aerial Images of Orland Square Mall and the surrounding areas, before and
after construction in 1970
and 1978 (CMAP Imagery
Explorer, 1970 Aerial Images, Northeastern Illinois Air
Photo Archive and Webmap,
Chicago Metropolitan Agency
for Planning Imagery Explorer,
1995; United States Geological Survey, Aerial 1978, Entity
ID:1VEQZ00020086, USGS
EARTH EXPLORER, October
30, 1978.
44
EXPANDING OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

As an effort to diversify the economic base of Orland Park, new offices and light industrial
development projects were targeted to broaden the tax base and increase the types of jobs
available.110 Rezoning of land was one of the primary ways Orland Park accommodated these
new uses.111 In the late 1980s, a wave of office buildings and light industrial facilities were
constructed. In 1984, total office construction amounted to more than 100,000 square feet. In
contrast, between 1970 1976, there was no office construction and from 1977 1983, there
was an average of 20,000 square feet per year of construction.112 In 1987, Orland Executive
Tower Building, a 6-floor office tower with 72,000 square feet of space, was developed,
followed by the Landmark, Orland Professional Office Buildings, Prudential Building, and Palo
Primary Care facilities. Effectively, an office corridor was established along John Humphrey
Drive and other office buildings were dispersed throughout the Village.
The Andrew Corporation, which manufactured cable communications and antenna systems,
provided the primary industrial base in the 1960s and remained the largest employer for
decades after. By 1990, approximately 4,500 jobs were located in Orland Park. The Andrew
Corporation remained the single largest employer with about 1,200 employees.113 Apple
Knoll Industrial Park, near 104th Avenue and 163rd Place, opened in 1980 to accommodate
other light industry. However, prior to 1985, few industrial or manufacturing facilities were
located in the Village. By 1989, other sites were opened including Glen Oaks, Voss Industrial
Park, Southwest Business Center, and Catalina Industrial Park.
RESIDENTIAL BOOM
Orland Park quickly established itself as one of the leading housing markets in the Chicago
suburbs, with some of the highest new residential construction rates.114 In May 1975, Orland
Park became the lead suburbs in the Chicago area for the increase in percentage of permits
for single family homes.115 In 1977, a University of Illinois at Chicago study showed Orland
Park as ranking 3rd in apartment construction and 5th in single family home construction
of the Chicago suburbs.116 The large availability of undeveloped land and newly annexed
areas contributed to this rapid growth.
The Villages building permit data between 1960-1973 also highlights growing residential
construction.117 The number of residential building permits continued to increase over this
period, with 261 new single family homes built and 196 multi-family homes built in 1971. 118
45
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

1960-1971
500
1400
400
1200
1000
300
800
200
600
100
400
200
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
TOP: Advertisement sign for Village Square Homes Subdivision (Geo Thompson,
"Village Square Homes," Photo gallery: A history of Orland Park. Chicago Tribune,
1983); BOTTOM: Residential building permits in Orland Park from 1960 -1971
(Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates. Orland Park, Illinois: A Supplementary Report to
the Comprehensive Plan, 1975).
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS
1975-1993
800
700
600
500
19
RESIDENTIAL
BUILDING
The Catalina Construction TOTAL
Corporation
became
one ofPERMITS
the first major
1960-1971
developers, constructing a subdivision twice the size of any other property
119
previously under
The sheer size of the subdivision
500development.
development aided growth during the 1970s and led the way to subsequent
subdivisions. The
400housing market continued to grow through the 1980s,
particularly with a focus on the high-end residential market. In 1985, 1,064
building permits300
were issued, followed by 1,338 permits in 1986 (a 24%
increase). In the same period, permits for single family homes alone went
120
from 395 to 511.200
Although the Village originated over a century early, by
the early 1980s, two-thirds of the homes in Orland Park were less than 15
years old.121 It was the second leading suburb in the Chicago Region in
100
1983 in terms of the number of dwelling units built.122
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL
BUILDING PERMITS
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL
BUILDING PERMITS
1960-1971
500
400
1987
1988
1989
1990
Jack Houston, Nobody Knows Why Village a 'Boom Town', Chicago Tribune, March 20, 1977
Single Family
Multi-Family / Townhomes
* Data missing from 1978-1984
400
0400
200
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
200
0
1975 1976 1977
1975 1976 1977
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
198
*D

1975-1993
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
400 for
knows
1986
600
600
100
500
1985
800
200
800
1977
1000
300
1000
Subdivisions during this period included Brook Hills,1975-1993

with about 500 single
family homes and 280 townhomes, and Eagle Ridge Estates subdivisions.
800 Country Club, a 283-acre subdivision was constructed
Crystal Tree Golf and
with a range of housing
options and a golf course throughout the gated
700
subdivision. It included about 500-550 townhomes and condos, 100 custom
600124
single family homes.
1976
1200
1200
1975
1400
1400
During the period of growth, not only was the amount of housing increasing,
1960was
1961also
1962changing.
1963 1964123
1965
1966
1967 1968
1970 1971
but the type of housing
After
World
War 1969
II, housing
demand resulted in a rush of modest and lower-priced new homes. Houses
catered to the family lifestyle and typically were constructed in the form of
ranches and bi-levels that featured big back yards and garages on cul-desacs. Toward the 2000s, larger homes on larger lots became the trend.
Nobody
sure why Orland Park is booming, but
anyone who happens
through this suburb, 23 miles southwest
300
of downtown Chicago,
is left with little doubt its true. Heres a
200
sleepy, little village suddenly come awake. Its first housing, still
standing, dates100
back to 1890, and its next housing springs daily
from the ground.0
TOTAL RES
1975-1993
100
0
1975
1976
1977
1985
1986
Single Family
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
Multi-Family / Townhomes
1991
1992
1993
ABOVE: Residential Building Permits from 1975 - 1993 (Village of Orland Park, "Community Profile," 1994).
Village of Orland Park, 1994, Community Profile

A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OLD ORLAND | 46
Vill
LAND USES
With the increasingly development from the 1970s
to 1990s, more intense and diverse land uses
filled Orland Park. However, single-family homes
continued to dominate the Village. The following
Village Land Use Table, from a field survey
conducted in March 1973, shows nearly 51%
of the developed land, or 836 acres, within the
corporate limits was single-family residential.125
Forest preserves, existing golf courses, parks and
recreation comprised the other predominant land
uses in Orland Park, amounting to about 32% of
developed land, or 538 acres within the Village.
Bodies of water contributed to an additional 105
acres.
Nearly all commercial development was contained
in the area of Route 45 and 143rd Street and south
along Route 45 to 151st Street. Some neighborhood
and strip commercial activity was located along
159th Street, and specifically, at the intersections
of 159th and Wolf Road and 159th and Harlem
Avenue. Only 2.4% of developed land, or about 40
acres, accounted for retail businesses. Offices and
wholesale establishments accounted for even less,
with 2.1 acres, or .12% of developed land. Both
industrial manufacturing and non-manufacturing
uses were about 4.5% of developed land, on over
73 acres of land.
Yet, approximately 58% of all land in Orland Park
remained undeveloped in 1973. The existing land
use pattern was utilized for projecting future land
uses on the remaining 2,450 acres of undeveloped
land in Orland Park.
47
LAND USE
Single Family
Multi-Family
Farmstead
Retail Business
Offices, Wholesale
Auto-Oriented Businesses
NUMBER
OF USES
TOTAL
SQUARE FEET
ACRES
2,624
36,411,440
835.9
50.92
19.9
81
832,000
19.1
1.16
0.45
113,280
2.6
0.15
0.06
32
1,714,000
39.4
0.4
0.93
92,800
2.1
0.2
0.05
PERCENT OF
DEVELOPMENT
PERCENT OF
TOTAL AREA
13
699,100
16.1
0.9
0.38
Industrial Non-Manufacturing
142,800
3.3
0.2
0.07
Manufacturing
3,058,200
70.2
4.27
1.67
17
2,212,800
50.8
3.09
1.2
23,436,800
538
32.77
12.81
0.82
0.32
Public, Cultural, Educations

Parks and Recreation
Utility
586,000
13.5
15
4,588,000
105.34
1,512,000
34.7
2.11
0.82
688,800
15.8
0.96
0.37
76,088,020
1746.8
41.6
Vacant
106,855,268
2453
58.4
TOTAL AREA
182,943,288
4199.8
100
Bodies of Water
Roadway R.O.W
Railroad R.O.W
Total Developed
2.5
TOP: Land Uses in Orland Park in March 1973 (Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates. Orland Park, Illinois: A Supplementary
Report to the Comprehensive Plan, 6).
REEXAMINING GROWTH WITH NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

The Supplementary Report to the Comprehensive Plan, prepared in 1975,
intended to act as a guide to the previously adopted 1969 Comprehensive Plan.
Based on development trends and future projections, the report created a General
Development Plan to help with decision making on future development. Similar
to the 1969 Comprehensive Plan, the 1975 Supplementary Report cautions on
the future development of Orland Park. The plan notes that the rapid pace of
development is constantly changing the complexion of the Village of Orland
Park. Lack of foresight and insufficient concern for community goals can have
a catastrophic effect on this community's growth. To avoid such pitfalls and
to assure an orderly and efficient expansion pattern which offers maximum
convenience and minimum conflict, goals must be established and plans must
be prepared to serve as a guide to this end The recent approval for a regional
shopping center complex and other planned unit developments will definitely have
an accelerated affect on the community's rate of growth. Accepting this desired
economic growth calls for a thorough re-examination of the goals governing a
community that prides itself in a strong single-family environment; an environment
surrounded by forest preserves, golf courses and parks.126
The report calls for the addition of residential development to meet housing
demands over the coming decades. Both new single-family and multiple-family
development were recommended as long as housing density remained overall
low. Shown on the General Development Plan map, the Supplementary Report
recommended commercial land use ten times more than the existing commercial
acreage in 1973. The report noted, The accelerated growth should be handled
with extreme care and prudent planning. Unfortunately, too many communities
have allowed uncontrolled commercial development to engulf them and suffocate
their essential residential vitality. Orland Park can avoid such a predicament by
limiting its commercial activity to well defined areas that have good access. A strong
commercial core is desirable, but should not be allowed to grow into a cancerous
strip development. Each new development in this area should be required to
follow the well planned approach that gives consideration to site aesthetics and
accessibility, the potential trade area, a traffic generation study, etc.127
Concerns over growth during this period were not just highlighted in planning
documents and noted by public officials. Numerous newspaper articles illuminate

apprehension over the pace of development.128 By the late 1980s, the towns
expansion has become so explosive that the main challenge facing officials is not
how to induce growth, but how to control and channel it. Rapid construction,
unbalanced growth and strain on government services, as well as the type of
development were targeted as major issues. There was a push for light industry,
offices, and research facilities rather than only housing and a saturated retail
market. Several years of a moratorium on multi-family housing was enacted due
to these concerns. Other efforts to contain density resulted in controversial battles
over the Spring Creek development, which originally proposed over 5,000 homes
on approximately 1,500 acres of land.129 The project was criticized for potentially
overburdening existing infrastructure, including schools and roads, without
providing money to pay for needed infrastructure.
In 1991, the Village adopted a new Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park,
which sought to reexamine past planning efforts and further guide policies
for future development in the Village.130 Similar to past plans, the 1991 plan
acknowledgedsuburban growth, residential development, commerce, and
industry would continue to decentralize in father reaches of the Chicago
metropolitan area. In addition to other assumptions, it correctly assumed that,
within the growth of the region over the next 30 years, Orland Park would become
an increasingly important population center in its own right and at the same time
retain a satellite relationship to Chicago, thus performing a dual function in the
southwest metropolitan area.131 Issues focused on traffic, new industry trends,
shifting land uses and needs, railroad services, the aging population, and other
regional topics. Within its Basic Policies: To Build Upon Community Strengths,
the plan acknowledges the importance of the Villages unique character,
identity, and history. In many ways, it suggested that development should not
be pursued only for the sake of development.132 And similar to past plans, it
noted that indeterminate growth may result in serious deterioration in quality of
transportation, the natural environment, the character of the community, and the
quality of life.133 The plan declared the need for a balance of local and regional
land uses, diversity and improvements to the commercial areas, an enhanced
transportation system, recreational and civic facilities, and a range of residential
density that are appropriate and can be supported essential residential services
such as schools, churches, and neighborhood-scale shopping centers.
48
LEFT: General Development Plan

from the 1975 Supplementary
Report to the Comprehensive
Plan (Wm. S. Lawrence and
Associates. Orland Park,

Illinois: A Supplementary
Report to the Comprehensive
Plan, 12-13).
49
LEFT: 1991 Plan (Village of Orland Park,

Community
Development Department.
Comprehensive Plan
for Orland Park. Orland Park: Village of
Orland Park, April 1,
1991).
50
ORLAND PARK TODAY

Orland Park remains a regional commercial center, providing a variety of shopping, dining
and entertainment options to its growing population and the surrounding area. The Village
continues to feature a strong suburban character with a variety of housing options,
multiple commercial corridors, a thriving Mall, and a considerable amount of open space
and recreational amenities. The Village is poised for growth and future transformation.
Within the last decades, the Village has dramatically changed, with redevelopment and
new construction occurring in many areas. Newer residential developments include senior
housing, townhomes, smaller lot subdivisions and luxury apartment buildings. Additionally,
recent efforts have culminated in a new transit-oriented Downtown. Previously known as the
Main Street Triangle, the new Main Street downtown district is currently under construction
and highlights efforts to transform Orland Park from its classic automobile-dependent
suburb into an adaptive, modern Village.
TRANSPORTATION
Orland Park well-connected to the local and regional transportation system. While the
Village has been referred to as a classic example of the American automobile-based
suburb, is it linked to the Chicago metropolitan region through commuter train stations,
arterial roadways, and interstate highways.134 Major nearby interstate highways include
the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) to the north, the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) to the
west, and Interstate 80 (I-80) to the south. The Tri-State Tollway 294 (I-294), is located 10
minutes to the east, connecting Illinois to nearby suburbs and states. Major arterial roads
include LaGrange Road (US 45), Harlem Avenue (State Highway 43), Southwest Highway,
Wolf Road, 159th Street, 143rd Street, and Will-Cook Road. LaGrange Road serves as the
spine of the community, with the corridor extending north to south through the Village. A
number of major roadway improvements are currently underway, including the LaGrange
Road widening project. Approximately 88.2% of people drive to work and 7% use public
transportation, with an average commute time of 34 minutes.135
There are also three commuter train stations that service the Metra Southwest Service line.
Trains connect commuters to Downtown Chicagos Union Station to the northeast and
Manhattan, Illinois to the southwest. PACE Bus services operate four routes, two of which
connect to Midway Airport where transfers are available to CTA Southwest Orange Line
trains to Downtown Chicago.
51
REGIONAL MAP
LAKE
MCHENRY
LAKE
MICHIGAN
294
COOK
90
94
290
290
KANE
DUPAGE
90
355
290
88
COOK
Chicago
88
90
294
55
Orland
Park
KENDALL
94
80
80
GRUNDY
55
WILL
57
VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK BOUNDARIES TODAY
POPULATION
The Village of Orland Park has experienced a dramatic shift in population
over the past century. From its humble beginnings as a small rural
town, Orland Park is now a regional economic hub with post-war
housing developments. In 1900, the town had a population of only
366. The population remained relatively unchanged and under 1,000
people until 1960.
POPULATION CHANGE (1900 - 2010)
56,767
60,000
51,077
50,000
40,000
34,391
30,000
23,045
20,000
6,391
10,000
366
369
343
571
631
788
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
2,592
0
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
POPULATION DENSITY
1990
2000
2010
Population Density Per Square Mile
2,673
2,668.4
Total Population
35,720
51,077
2,594.7
1990
56,757
Land Area (Square Miles)
13.36
19.14
21.88
1990
ABOVE: Orland Park's population growth from 1900-2010 and population

density from 1990-2010 (U.S. Census).
52
Over the past five decades, up to 2010, the Villages population

grew by 788%, with approximately 50,376 residents.136
Although recent growth has leveled, the Villages population
has continued to increase within the past decade. From 2000
to 2014, the population increased by 13.17% from 51,077 to
57,802 residents.137 It is projected to grow to 58,367 in 2020.138
Population density has remained relatively stable over the
past few decades due to the increase in annexed land, but
the Village remains less dense than Cook County as a whole.
According to 2014 estimates, Orland Parks population density
is approximately 2,642 people per square mile, with Cook
County holding 5,530 per square mile.139
Since it was established, Orland Park has had a predominately
white population.140 For 2014, the estimated percent of
white residents was 87.9%.141 The Village also has an aging
population, with a larger share of residents aged 55 years and
older (33.5%).142 The majority of its residents are 35 to 64 years
old (42.6%). Orland Park has a higher median age of 45 years old
when compared to Cook County as a whole, which has a median
age of 35.7 years old.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
In 2014, Orland Parks median household income was $79,334,
with about 20% of residents earning $100,000 to $149,999.
Overall, the Villages household income is $24,506 higher
than Cook County, which had a median income of $54,828.
Additionally, over the next few years, the household income is
expected to increase to $92,385 by 2020.143
HOUSING
Orland Park as a whole has a fairly diverse housing stock,
with single family homes, townhouses, multi-family buildings.
However, single-family detached homes remain the primary
HOUSING UNITS (1980-2010)

25,000
HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2014)

25%
20,000
20%
15,000
15%
12,484
5%
0%
2014
10,000
10%
5,000
Less than
$15,000
$15,000 $24,999
$25,000 $34,999
$35,000 $49,999
2020
7,572
0 $50,000
$75,000 $74,999 1980 $99,999
$150,000 More than

$199,9992000 $200,000
.6%
22,443
11.1%
17.7%
2020
15,000
Built 2005 or Later

Built 2000 to 2004
Built 1990 to 1999
Built 1980 to 1989
19.5%
12,484
TOTAL HOUSING
IN 2014: 22,330
10,000
5,000
7,572
2010
Household Income Change (switch 2020 position)
19,045
20,000
$100,000 $149,999
1990
YEAR STUCTURE BUILT
HOUSING UNITS (1980-2010)

25,000
Built 1970 to 1979

Built 1969 or Earlier
27.1%
2014
24%
0
1980
1990
2000
$70,000
2010
$75,000
$80,000
$85,000
$90,000
$95,000
ABOVE: Orland Park's household income in 2010; BELOW: The number of housing units from 1980-2010 and year
YEAR STUCTURE BUILT
housing structures
built in 2014 (U.S. Census).
.6%
11.1%
53
22,443
19,045
17.7%
Built 2005 or Later
Built 2000 to 2004
Built 1990 to 1999
Built 1980 to 1989
19.5%
TOTAL HOUSING
IN 2014: 22,330
27.1%
Built 1970 to 1979

Built 1969 or Earlier
housing style. More recently senior housing and luxury

apartments have been constructed within the Village.144
The number of housing units and age of structures over
time highlights Orland Parks rapid post-war suburban
growth. In 1980, there were only 7,572 housing units
in Orland Park. This quickly grew to 22,443 units in
2010, with an estimated 22,330 according to the 2014
American Community Survey. The majority of homes
were construction from 1970 to 1999, tapering off from
2000 to 2004. According to the 2014 ACS, the median
year structures were built is 1988. During this period,
with the construction of large subdivisions, single family
homes dominated. Today, the majority of housing units
are single family detached homes (60%). A smaller
portion of housing (20.3%) is composed of 1-unit
attached, or townhouse, housing. Multi-family housing
remains low compared to the overall housing stock. The
large number of single-family homes likely contributes
to the fact that the majority of housing units are owneroccupied (89.1%).
In 2010, about 10.3% of the housing stock was renteroccupied. The median gross rent has risen over the
past few years, from $939 in 2009 to $1,089 in 2014.145
Meanwhile, the median value of owner-occupied units
has dropped during the same period, from $310,800 to
$275,700.
However, according to Zillow, the median home value in
Orland Park for May 2016 is $263,400.146 Over the past
year, home values have risen 4.7%% and are predicted
to rise 2.8% within the next year. Rental prices have
also increased, at an estimated $1,980 a month for May
2016. This is higher than the Chicago Metropolitan area
average of $1,662 per month.147
TYPE OF HOUSING UNITS

.6%
6.6%
5.5%
1- Unit, Detached
1- Unit, Attached
5.3%
2 Units
60%
20.3%
3 or 4 Units
5 to 9 Units
10 to 19 Units
20 or More Units
Other
YEAR STUCTURE BUILT

.6%
11.1%
17.7%
19.5%
TOTAL HOUSING
IN 2014: 22,330
27.1%
24%
54
$1,600
Nov 2010
Nov 2011
Nov 2012
Nov 2013
Nov 2014
Nov 2015
HOME VALUES (JUNE 2006 - MAY 2016)

$340,000
$320,000
$300,000
$280,000
$260,000
$240,000
$220,000
$200,000
June
2006
COMPARISON OF MEDIAN
HOME VALUES (MAY 2016)
LEFT: Comparison of Home Values

for Orland Park and Surrounding
Municipalities for May 2016. (Trulia,
"Orland Park Real Estate Market
Overview." Real Estate Overview for
Orland Park, IL. 2016).
TOP RIGHT: Median Home Values
from June 2006 - May 2016 ( Zillow).
BOTTOM RIGHT: Rental Prices for
November 2010 - May 2016 ( Zillow).
55
Orland Park
$263,400
Cook County
$202,400
Tinley Park
$204,100
Chicago
$208,600
Schaumburg
$214,100
Oak Lawn
$165,900
Joliet
$121,000
Palos Park
$358,500
Palos Heights
$249,900
Homer Glen
$300,600
June
2007
June
2008
June
2009
June
2010
June
2011
June
2012
June
2013
June
2014
June
2015
RENTAL PRICES (NOVEMBER 2010 - MAY 2016)

$2,050
$2,000
$1,950
$1,900
$1,850
$1,800
$1,750
$1,700
$1,650
$1,600
Nov 2010
Nov 2011
Nov 2012
Nov 2013
Nov 2014

HOME VALUES (JUNE 2006 - MAY 2016)
Nov 2015
23,000
20,000
TOTAL PRIMARY JOBS (2010-2014)
22,000
19,000
23,000
21,000
2010
22,000
2012
2013
2014
19,000
21,000
2010
ECONOMY
23,000
Its retail environment
is critical to the local economy. With over 11 million
square feet of commercial space, the Village has an effective trade area
150
of over 840,000
The Villages general merchandise retails sales
22,000 people.
are also significant. For 2015, Orland Parks total retail sales amounted to
$2,062,467,543, or $35,682 total sales per capita. This is significantly larger
21,000
than Cook Countys total sales per capita during the same period, which was
151
$13,399.
20,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
JOB INDUSTRY
NUMBER
PERCENT
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,094
4.8%
Finance and Insurance
1,470
6.5%
Educational Services
1,768
7.8%
Health Care and Social Assistance
2,910
12.9%
Accommodation and Food Services
3,167
14.0%
Retail Trade
6,832
30.3%
2011
2012

2014
24,000
24,000
23,000
23,000
22,000
22,000
21,000
20,000
21,000
19,000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
20,000
JOB INDUSTRY
NUMBER
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
PERCENT
1,094
4.8%
1,470
6.5%
2,910
12.9%
3,167
14.0%
6,832
30.3%
19,000
Finance
and Insurance
2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

1,768 2008 2009
7.8% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Retail Trade
JOB INDUSTRY
NUMBER
PERCENT
JOB INDUSTRIES (2014)

Professional, Scientific, and TechnicalTOTAL
Services
1,094
4.8%
Retail Trade
Finance and Insurance
1,470
6.5%
1,768
7.8%
Health Care and Educational

SocialServices
Assistance
2,910
12.9%
3,167
14.0%

AccommodationFinance
andandFood
InsuranceServices
Professional,
Scientific, and Technical Services
Retail
Trade
6,832
0
ABOVE: Orland Park's top job industries in 2014 and

total primary
jobs from 2002-2014
TOTAL
JOB INDUSTRIES
(2014) (U.S. Census).
Retail Trade
2013
20,000
Orland Park has maintained its status as a regional destination, offering a

diverse array
of retail, dining and entertainment options. In addition to the
19,000
strong retail environment, automobile and service industries are important
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
to the local economy. Employment has been relatively stable over the past
decades. While the total number of jobs has fluctuated, the Village has
gained 681 jobs between 2002 and 2014. In 2014, there were 22,557 number
of primary jobs in Orland Park.148
For 2014, 24,000
Orland Parks unemployment rate was 7.4%, less than Cook
County as a whole with 11.7%.149
19,000
2011
20,000
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
30.3%
5,000
6,000
7,000
TOTAL JOB INDUSTRIES (2014)

Retail Trade

56
INFLOW / OUTFLOW
In 2014, approximately 20,103 people employed in Orland Park, lived outside the Village.152 Conversely, 20,283 people who lived in Orland Park were employed
outside the Village. Only 2,454 people were both employed and lived in Orland Park. Residents who live in Orland Park commute to the following top destinations
for work: Chicago (19.9%), Orland Park (10.8%), Tinley Park (4.0%), Palos Heights, (2.9%), Oak Lawn (2.6%). The top five places people travel from to be employed
in Orland Park are Chicago (11.3%), Orland Park (10.9%), Tinley Park (6.1%), Oak Forest (2.5%), and Homer Glen (2.2%)
INFLOW / OUTFLOW
Employed in Orland Park,

Live Outside
20,103
2,454
20,283
Live in Orland Park, Work

Outside
Employed and Work in
Orland Park
57
Commercial
1,094.30
Industrial
225.3 1.6
Institutional
676.6 4.8
Mixed Use
11.2
0.1
Transportation and Other
Agricultural
1,902.00
Open Space
1,758.40
Vacant 634.6 4.5
TOTAL 14,185.40
100
7.7
2,334.00
13.4
12.4
16.5
LAND USE
Over Source:
the past Chicago
decade, commercial
and
residential
development
has been Land Use Inventory.
Metropolitan
Agency
for Planning
Parcel-Based
relatively steady. By land area, Orland Park is approximately 75% developed,
with the majority of the available land planned for residential development.153
According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Parcel-Based
Land Use Inventory, land uses are largely composed of single-family
residential properties.154 This is in line with the Villages past development
patterns.
LAND USE
Single-Family Residential
ACRES
PERCENT
5,226
36.8
323
2.3
1,094.3
7.7
Industrial
225.3
1.6
Institutional
676.6
4.8
Mixed Use
11.2
0.1
Transportation and Other
2,334
16.5
Agricultural
1,902
13.4
1,758.4
12.4
Vacant
634.6
4.5
TOTAL
14,185.4
100
Multi-Family Residential
Commercial
Open Space
LEFT: Land use map for the Village in 2013 (Adapted from Village of Orland Park).
ABOVE: Land use table for 2010 (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Parcel-Based
Land Use Inventory).
58
SHIFTING DOWNTOWN & A NEW SUBURBAN IMAGE

Before Orland Parks post-war suburban growth, the
Old Orland area served as the original downtown as the
communitys primary commercial hub. Not only was Old
Orland the center of commercial life and a transportation
access point, it was also an important place that supported
social life with a concentration of community institutions,
churches, restaurants, ad meeting places. But similar
to other downtowns that grew along railroad stops, the
creation of the interstate highway system and subsequent
suburban growth changed the ways in which people lived,
worked and spent their time and consequently drastically
transformed Old Orland.
As noted, changes were arising in the 1950s that shifted
the original downtown to outlying areas. The construction
of Orland Square Mall secured the Mall and LaGrange Road
as the new dispersed center of town. After WWII, Orland's
train station experienced less train service and riders. The
once important railroad that spurred the growth of Orland
Park became less important in the age of the automobile.
The Wabash railroad, citing a lack of profit, only provided
one passenger train to Chicago in the morning and one
returning train in the evening. This schedule remained in
effect until the 1970s, which undoubtedly impacted the
economic development of the town near the train station.155
As new housing, the Orland Square Mall, and office and
commercial development filled farmland, Orland Parks
adopted a suburban identity. Orland Park adopted its
official slogan Golf Center of the World.156 Beyond the
mall and golf that shaped its identity, Orland Park prided
itself on other upscale and suburban amenities such as
education, religion and community services. The decision
to rebrand Orland Park and market it due to its proximity
59
ABOVE: Branding Images of the Village as the Golf Center of the World (Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates. Orland Park,
Illinois: A Supplementary Report to the Comprehensive Plan, 1-3).
BELOW: Aerial Images of the LaGrange Road Corridor from April 2011, looking south at 143rd Street (Illinois Department
of Transportation. US Route 45 (LaGrange Road) Reconstruction and Widening. Illinois Department of Transportation.
2015. Accessed May 1, 2016. http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/us45-reconstruction-and-widening).
to the highest concentration of golf holes within a 15-mile radius of any town in
the world represents its break from its past as a farming community and future
as a suburban mecca. Today, Orland Park epitomizes suburban sprawl with its
shopping malls and subdivisions. Despite its rapid growth, parts of the original
downtown, Old Orland, have been preserved through decades of planning
efforts, described below.
EARLY PRESERVATION & PLANNING EFFORTS IN OLD ORLAND
In the early 1980s, as Orland Park was increasingly transforming into a burgeoning
post-war suburb, attention shifted toward preserving the original atmosphere of
town.157 Many of the older buildings faced demolition as land values climbed.
Residents began feeling that the town was growing very quickly and Old Orland
was being left behind.158 One Village planner at the time noted, Other towns
such as Schaumburg, have lost their downtowns, but Old Orland has kept its
integrityWe dont want Orland Park to look like any other suburb. We must pick
out the unique characteristics. And Old Orland is a unique characteristic.159
As a result, the Village, residents, businesses, and other community organizations
actively worked to preserve and improve Old Orland. The Village began
identifying issues within Old Orland and planning for its future. At that time,
Village ordinances pertaining to development and redevelopment could not be
applied to Old Orland, creating nearly unworkable hardships on owners and /
or purchasers.160 Outdated regulations not only limited how historic buildings
could be preserved and maintained according to code, but also created issues
regarding allowable land uses and the compatibility of new construction in the
district. For example, district zoning regulations required minimum 10,000 square
foot lots, much larger than Old Orlands non-confirming lots. But the opportunities
for Old Orland were increasingly acknowledged, Original Orland should not be
overlooked or forgotten by our guidelines of development. There is considerable
property investment and overwhelming pride in property owners to keep up land
improvements. The Village ordinances could be amended in numerous ways
to support this tangible and intangible resource. Recommendations were put
forward to amend existing Village ordinances, including:
-- Allow reconstruction on vacant lots without hardship
-- Allow only construction with architectural consistency

-- Recognize theme exterior designs
-- Preserve and encourage reconstruction and remodeling of existing
structures
-- Preserve residential land uses and densities as they exist
-- Identify historically significant structures and encourage their continued
maintenance and use.
In 1982, the Old Orland Homeowners Association created the Neighborhood
Preservation Committee to further explore the protection of the unique value
and character of Old Orland. They pushed for the creation of an Old Orland
Preservation Task Force composed of residents, businesses, and church officials;
develop a historic survey; draft a preservation plan to protect the resources
identified in the survey as well as zoning, building regulations changes, marketing
needs, parking facilities, building and signage controls, landscaping, and Village
infrastructure improvements; and to create guidelines for the establishment of
an ongoing Old Orland Preservation Commission to serve as a guiding force to
future growth and change in the Old Orland Neighborhoods.161 Members were
appointed to the Neighborhood Preservation Committee and the first steps were
taken to designate the original downtown as a district district.162
The Survey for the Creation of an Old Orland Park Historic District of Local
Significance, by Charles E. Gregersen and Melvyn A. Skvarla, was the first
attempt at evaluating the historic significance of buildings within Old Orland. A
roughly outlined district was created, but did not have any zoning or regulatory
implications.163 In November 1984, Ordinance 1386a Building Standards For
Historical Buildings: An Ordinance Establishing Building Standard Criteria for
Historical Buildings was passed allowing flexibility on certain provisions of the
Villages building codes for the construction, repair, alteration, enlargement,
restoration and moving of buildings designated as landmarks or having a special
historical, community, or aesthetic interest or value.

The first boundaries and ordinances were more of a formal expression that a
number of buildings were considered significant to the Village. To preserve the
architectural integrity of the buildings, the first ordinances allowed more flexibility
in building and fire code requirements. This was important as most of these
60
buildings were wood frame buildings rather than brick. In addition, designation
was important to setting the stage for tax incentives related to restoration work.
Planning for a full preservation ordinance was underway, which sought to
address a parking program, building and fire codes, historic theme, architectural
consistency, events and promotions, public facilities reconstruction, financing,
reevaluation of lot coverage, setbacks, off street parking, lot size, accessory
buildings, building height, materials, architectural review, permitted uses,
hardship criteria. By the end 1986, five ordinances were passed that established
a recognized historic district, created a historic preservation commission, and
introduced specific regulations geared toward preservation and planning for Old
Orland.164
In 1987, the Old Orland Heritage Foundation was formed with the goal of
projecting and preserving Orland Parks historic assets. The first project of
restoration of United Methodist Churchs twin towers sanctuary built in 1898
at 144th Street and West Avenue.165 The group was previously instrumental
in preventing the demolition of a number of historic buildings in Orland Park.
They have been credited with preserving the Maue House, a farmstead, as
well as saving and restoring the Twin Towers Sanctuary. In contrast, the Orland
Historical Society manages the Humphrey House Museum and has played a
major role in preserving the Hostert log cabins and continues to collect oral
histories and artifacts about Old Orland.166
Old Orland was included as a focus in the 1991 Comprehensive Plan for Orland
Park, which sought to reexamine past planning efforts and further guide policies
for future development in the Village.167 The 1991 Plan marked the first time
that Old Orland was fully included in comprehensive planning efforts. A section
of the plan was devoted to historical significance, acknowledging there were
many significant structures with historical value that comprise the heritage of the
community and worthy of preservation. 168 The goal To promote the economic,
cultural, and aesthetic welfare of the community through the preservation,
restoration and adaptive re-use of historical structures and sites included the
following objectives:169
-- Support sensitive development practices which incorporate and defer to
61
----------
the historic value of structures and sites in order to protect the character
and traditions of the community
Encourage the care and maintenance of historic structures and sites
Encourage the economic and adaptive re-use of historic structures
Utilize preserved historic structures and sites to establish identity and
unique character for development in order to enhance property values
and a sense of community
Capitalize upon the economic benefits of tourism that accrue from
successful historic preservation efforts
Maintain historic preservation regulations and procedures within the Land
Development Code to implement preservation objectives
Utilize a historic preservation district to protect and enhance the character
of the Old Orland area
Designate historic landmarks throughout the community as provided for
in the Land Development Code
Coordinate local preservation efforts with other relevant state and federal
agencies responsible for historic preservation
Encourage all construction, alteration, and improvement of historic
structures to comply with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for
Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
The Old Orland Element of the Comprehensive Plan adopted the goal to
maintain the scale, architectural integrity, and general character of Old Orland
while enhancing its residential and commercial environments.170 The following
objectives included:
-- Obtain input from long time residents and merchants
-- Maintain an overlay-zoning district within the Land Development Code
which is tailored specifically to building setbacks, street widths, and other
characteristics of Old Orland
-- Establish a set of design standards including architectural style, signage,
and scale
-- Create a physical plan which provides adequate access, parkway amenities,
improved streetscapes, and linkage between Beacon Avenue and Union
Street commercial areas
-- Create a capital improvement plan based upon said physical plan
-- Incorporate the historic structures into the physical plan

-- Identify highly visible areas which may be landscaped and serve
as visual focal points, incorporating historic and significant events/
locations
The Major Recommendations To Respond to Community Concerns"
section identifies Old Orland area as a unique site that preserves the early
heritage of the community, yet continues to serve the needs of residents
and businesses. Enhancement of the area as a place to live and shop
is proposed, with improved facilities and amenities to support tourism,
commuting, small business expansion, and historic ambiance.171 Of the
Major Proposals to Guide Future Community Development, the plan
suggested the following for Old Orland:
------
Old Orland shall represent the heritage of Orland Park

Strengthen the character of the historic center of the Village
Enhance residential quality, appearance, and streetscapes
Support tourism and local businesses
Rebuild the 143rd Street commuter station and provide improved
commuter parking
-- Improve access to business parking
However, while Old Orland was included in some renewed planning
efforts, some views criticized preservation and planning efforts. A
Chicago Tribune article from 1993 points to differences in how Orland
Park has handled its growth and the retention of its historic character
compared to nearby suburbs.172 Specifically, actions by both Frankfort
and Orland Park highlight the different philosophies of growth in the
southwest suburbs as the region experienced tremendous growth. Both
suburbs began as farming communities. But, according to the article,
When it comes to handling growth, hamburgers and french fries may
explain the difference between Orland Park and Frankfort.173 The issue
of how quickly each Plan Commission reviewed or approved the matter
fast food restaurants was used as an example in explaining the how
each community approached the preservation of their rural heritage,
future development patterns, and what standards they wanted to set.
ABOVE: Orland Park's first attempts at creating a historic district. The map was adopted in 1984
as part of Ordinance 1386, "An Ordinance Establishing Building Standard Criteria for Historical
Buidings" and shows shows buildings and structures designated by Village as having special historical character and community interest and value to the Village. Today, the boundaries of the
Old Orland district are much smaller: the historic district only includes a portion of the highlighed
areas on this map.
62
While Orland Park immediately approved the proposal for a fast food restaurant,
Rather than putting out the welcome mat and approving the proposal like the
Orland Park panel did, commissioners unanimously voted to recommend that
any fast-food restaurant wanting to come to town be forced to obtain a specialuse permit that would give the Village tighter control.174
Frankfort made a conscious effort to capitalize on its rural heritage, vigorously
promoting itself as the Village with 1890s charm. Orland Park, on the other
hand, is very much a child of the 20th Century. Its turning point came when
Urban Investment & Development Co. settled on Orland Park as the site of a
major shopping mall.175 While Orland Park became a mecca for shopping and
regional commercial center, that commercial core has created a community
that many view as lacking a human one. On weekends and over the Christmas
holiday season, traffic congestion is so bad along La Grange Road and 159th
Street that many residents refuse to venture out of their homes As subdivision
after subdivision has grown out of cornfields, the neighborly feelings that used
to characterize the Village have all but disappeared from its neighborhoods,
some say. A major reason is that both partners work and are away from home
most of the time. Another is that there are few places to get together.176
As Old Orland no longer held its place as the center of town, the Village gained
a new suburban character. Rather than maintaining and building upon the
existing charm of the original downtown, new dispersed shopping centers were
built. Arguably, Old Orland was overlooked by the rapid suburban development
occurring around it and neighborhood planning efforts. The area became
known as one of the unique places in Orland Park and a quaint area for its
small stretch of antique stores housed in historic buildings.177 According to one
article, If people think Orland Park has become one big cash register, they have
not looked beyond the main drags. One need only see the town's distinctive
water towers, painted to resemble a golf ball on a tee, to realize there are other
pursuits besides shopping that are dear to the Villagers.178 Nonetheless, Old
Orlands fate was set: reinvestment and preservation would be pushed to the
back-burner as other large-scale development and more profitable projects
became a priority for Village growth.
RECENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING
63
In 2004, the Village of Orland Parks Community Development Department,

now the Development Services Department, began preparing a Comprehensive
Plan for the Old Orland Historic District. Prior to this effort, little comprehensive
planning had taken place for at least over a decade. The Plan would act as an
update Orland Parks Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1991, and utilize past
historic surveys. The following planning considerations were determined through
examining past planning efforts and evaluating feedback gained from participants
recorded in memos related to various Village meetings on planning for Old Orland
in 2004. However, a master plan for the Old Orland was never completed.
The most recent large-scale planning for Old Orland was folded into the Villages
2013 Comprehensive Plan. The importance of and investment in historic
preservation and the Old Orland area is noted as an important objective within
the Comprehensive Plan. However, a master plan for Old Orland area remains to
be seen. Instead, planning efforts have shifted toward creating a new downtown,
the Main Street Downtown District.
CREATING ORLAND PARKS THIRD DOWNTOWN
The creation of the Main Street Downtown District represents the third relocation
of Orland Parks downtown. Since the Village was founded, Old Orland served as
the original downtown due to its location near the Wabash Railroad station. After,
post-war suburban development relocated shopping and services outward to the
LaGrange Road corridor. A central downtown was lost during the 1970s as retail
and commerce dispersed throughout the Village. To many, the Orland Square
Mall became a pseudo-center of town, holding a concentration of shopping,
entertainment, restaurant options.179 Yet, Orland Parkstill had no traditional
downtown area.
The Mayor Daniel McLaughlin, elected in 1993, has noted issues with the lack of
a downtown and the need to create a new town center, I hate that kids who grow
up in Orland Park think that downtown is the [Orland Square] mall ... My goal is
to create a heart and soul for Orland Park, for its residents and as a gateway to
our community."180 According to the Mayor, "Right now you have the residential
areas, then you have this major commercial area right along La Grange Road. I
don't think people think there's really a place to go to meet and greet and just see
other people."181 The Main Street District will help solve the loss of the
Old Orland Historic District as the main downtown by creating a new
sense of community.
The development of the Main Street Downtown District and its adjacency
to the Metra commuter station highlights the Villages efforts to
transform Orland Park from its classic automobile-dependent suburban
form. With decades of urban sprawl, Orland Park is characterized by
the features typical of most post war suburbs: a spread of residential
subdivisions, super blocks, commercial growth that grew nearby Orland
Square Mall, miles of big-box stores and restaurants along La Grange
Road and 159th Street. The transit-oriented, walkable Main Street
District represents an antidote to past suburban sprawl by attempting
to plan for people, not cars. In line with new trends across the country,
the Village is attempting to change the suburban landscape.182 The Main
Street Downtown District is not only connected to the Metra Commuter
train station, but also is within close walking distance to nearby areas,
including Orland Park Crossing shopping center, the Old Orland Historic
District, luxury apartment buildings, Marianos grocery store, the Village
Center, as well as other services and restaurants located on LaGrange
Road. The creation of a vibrant, walkable downtown connected to
transit and expanded multi-family luxury housing options is expected
to attract professionals, younger generations, residents commuting to
their jobs in Chicago, or empty nesters looking to downsize.
The impacts of the development of the Main Street Downtown District
on Old Orland remain to be seen. The surrounding districts, particularly
the Main Street Downtown District, will be further discussed in the
following chapter. Nonetheless, Orland Park should not follow in the
footsteps of the past. Beginning in the 1970s with the construction of
Orland Square Mall and unprecedented suburban growth, Old Orland
was largely forgotten in many planning efforts. Existing and future
planning, particularly for the up-and-coming downtown, should not
again overlook Old Orland.
RELOCATING ORLAND PARK'S DOWNTOWN
MAIN STREET
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
3RD DOWNTOWN
OLD ORLAND
1ST DOWNTOWN
ORLAND SQUARE MALL

2ND DOWNTOWN
64
ENDNOTES
1
McGuire, Igleski & Associates, Village of Orland Park
Residential Area Intensive Survey (Village of Orland
Park, 2008), 8-10.
2
J. Penney, Where they came from to settle in Orland,
The Palos Regional, May 28, 1981, 20;
Residential Area Intensive Survey, 8-10.
3
Weston Arthur Goodspeed and Daniel David Healy,
History of Cook County, Illinois--Being A General
Survey of Cook County History, Including a Condensed
History of Chicago and Special Account of Districts
Outside the City Limits: From the Earliest Settlement
to the Present Time (Chicago: Goodspeed Historical
Association, 1881), 334; A. T. Andreas, History of Cook
County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present
Time (Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884), 827; Orland
Heritage Book Association, The Orland Story: From
Prairie to Pavement (Orland Park: Orland Heritage Book
Association, 1991), 29.
4
Anne McGuire & Associates, Orland Rural History
Survey (Village of Orland Park, December 1995), 7.
5
Ibid., 10.
6
Keating, Ann Durkin, Chicagoland: City and Suburbs
in the Railroad Age (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2005).
7
Ibid., 14.
8
Orland Heritage Book Association, The Orland Story:
From Prairie to Pavement, 51.
9
Ibid., 61.
10
Ibid., 61.
11
J. Penney, Where they came from to settle in Orland,
20.
12
Ibid.
13
A. T. Andreas, History of Cook County, Illinois: From
the Earliest Period to the Present Time, 827.
14
Ibid.
15
the Earliest Period to the Present Time, 827; Orland
Heritage Book Association, The Orland Story: From
65
Prairie to Pavement; McGuire, Igleski & Associates,

Village of Orland Park Residential Area Intensive Survey.
16
From Prairie to Pavement, 71-73.
17
Ibid., 73-74.
18
the Earliest Period to the Present Time, 827.
19
From Prairie to Pavement, 76
20
Ibid., 76.
21
Ibid., 74.
22
Residential Area Intensive Survey, 16.
23
U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population and
Housing. 1940, https://www.census.gov/prod/www/
decennial.html
24
25
Ibid.
26
27
Ibid., 61.
28
Ibid., 89.
29
Ibid., 94.
30
Ibid., 109.
31
Ibid., 110.
32
Ibid., 85.
33
Orland Heritage Book Association, The Orland
Story: From Prairie to Pavement, 75; McGuire, Igleski
& Associates, Village of Orland Park Residential Area
Intensive Survey, 18.
34
S. Hochberg, Grandpa remembers early Orland
Park, The Palos Regional, May 28, 1981, 4, 8.
35
36
S. Hochberg, Grandpa remembers early Orland
Park, 4, 8.
37
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Rural Historic
Structural Survey of Homer Township Will County,
Illinois (Chicago: Will County Land Use Department
and the Will County Historic Preservation Commission,
2002).
38
39
University of Chicago & Andrew Corporation, Toward
a Plan for the Andrew Corporation and the Orland Park
Community: A Pre-Planning Report (Chicago: 1951), 81.
40
41
Ibid., 88.
42
Ibid., 105.
43
Residential Area Intensive Survey. 20.
44
U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population and
Housing. 1950, https://www.census.gov/prod/www/
decennial.html; U.S. Census Bureau, Census of
Population and Housing. 1960, https://www.census.
gov/prod/www/decennial.html
45
Chicago Press, 2008), 9-11, 36-38.
46
Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park
Plan Commission, A Comprehensive Plan for Orland
Park, Illinois (Chicago: Wm. S. Lawrence & Associates,
1969), B-11-18; Keating, Chicago Neighborhoods and
Suburbs: A Historical Guide, 35-37.
47
Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates & Orland Park Plan
Commission, A Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park,
Illinois, B-12.
48
Ibid., C-4.
49
Community, 83-84.
50
Ibid., 84.
51
Ibid., 70-71.
52
From Prairie to Pavement.
53
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission,
Preliminary Suburban Factbook (Chicago: Northeastern
Illinois Planning Commission, July 1971).
54
Illinois, B-26.
55
Ibid., B-28.
56
Ibid., H-7.
57
Ibid., B-20-21.
58
Keating, Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A
Historical Guide, 4, 35.
59
Community, 70-71.
60
Illinois, B-23.
61
Ibid., G-3).
62
Ibid., C-16 - C-23).
63
64
Community, 85.
65
Illinois, D-3.
66
Orland Heritage Book Association, The Orland
Story: From Prairie to Pavement; Stanley Ziemba,
Andrew Corp.'s departure to change Orland Park,
Joliet, Chicago Tribune, November 19, 2005; "Andrew
Corporation,"International Directory of Company
Histories, 2000,Encyclopedia.com.
67
From Prairie to Pavement.
68
Community, 86.
69
Ibid., 86-87.
70
Ibid., 78.
71
Illinois, Introduction.
72
Ibid., B-3.
73
Ibid., E-3.
74
Ibid., C-9.
Ibid., E-3.
Ibid., C-9.
77
Ibid., B-22.
78
Ibid., C-28.
79
Ibid., C-8 C-10.
80
81
U.S. Census Bureau. Decennial Census, 1970.
Prepared by Social Explorer. http://www.socialexplorer.
com/ (accessed January 10, 2016); U.S. Census Bureau.
Decennial Census, 1980. Prepared by Social Explorer.
http://www.socialexplorer.com/ (accessed January 10,
2016).
82
2016); U.S. Census Bureau. Decennial Census, 2010.
com/ (accessed January 10, 2016).
83
David Elsner, Bucolic Area on Verge of Boom
Rustic Ways Face Urban Expansion Series: Southwest:
The New Frontier. First in a Series about Growth and
Development Issues in the Southwest Suburbs and the
Challenges the Region Faces,"Chicago Tribune, May
17, 1993.
84
David Ibata, Orland Park is Blossoming into a 'Boom
Town', Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1983, W-B1.
85
Ibid.
86
Jack Houston, Nobody Knows Why Village a 'Boom
Town', Chicago Tribune, March 20, 1977, S-B2A.
87
Barnum, Art. Jun 1, 1983. Suburb finding pleasure in
growing pains. Chicago Tribune, pg. ST4
88
89
David Ibata, Orland Park is Blossoming into a 'Boom
Town'; Steve Mills, Move On Out Orland Pushing
The Envelope Of Where `Suburbia' Begins, Chicago
Tribune, October 14, 1995, 3.
90
75
76

91
David Elsner, Bucolic Area on Verge of Boom
Rustic Ways Face Urban Expansion Series: Southwest:
The New Frontier. First in a Series about Growth and
Development Issues in the Southwest Suburbs and the
Challenges the Region Faces.
92
J Linn Allen, "Southwest Suburban Orland Park Can't
Say 'No',"Chicago Tribune, December 12, 1987, B1.
93
94
Jane Michaels, Orland Park Business Boom La
Grange Road Sites the Main Target for New Retail
Rush, Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1986, 7; Steve Kerch,
Orland Park: From a Farm Town to a Boom Town:
Village's Growth Continues the Pace Started in 1960s,
Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1986, 3.
95
Orland Park Plan Commission, Southwest Sector
Plan: An Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan of the
Village of Orland Park(Ord. 1413, Adopted February 4,
1985) (Orland Park, IL: Village of Orland Park, 1985), 1.
96
Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates, Orland Park,
Illinois: A Supplementary Report to the Comprehensive
Plan (Chicago: Wm. S. Lawrence & Associates, 1975).
97
David Ibata, Malls had major role in making of
suburbia, Chicago Tribune, August 7, 1983, 2; Keating,
Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs, 4, 35.
98
Thomas Hardy, Population booms as Orland Square
draws like magnet, Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1983,
ST10.
99
Illinois: A Supplementary Report to the Comprehensive,
20.
100
John Stuart Humphrey, "Speech at the opening of
Orland Square Mall," (speech, Orland Park IL, 1975),
Village of Orland Park archives.
101
Thomas Hardy, Population booms as Orland Square
draws like magnet.
102
Rush.
103
John Stuart Humphrey, "Speech at the opening of
66
Orland Square Mall.

104
105
Michaels, Orland Park Business Boom La Grange
Road Sites the Main Target for New Retail Rush.
106
107
Linn Allen, "Southwest Suburban Orland Park Can't
Say 'No'
108
David Elsner, Facing Future in 2 Directions: Orland
Park Pushes Growth; Frankfort Clings to Past. Series
Southwest: The New Frontier. This is the Third in a
Series of Articles about Growth and Development
Issues in the Southwest Suburbs and the Challenges
the Region Faces,Chicago Tribune, May 19, 1993.
109
Ibata, Malls had Major Role in Making of Suburbia;
Road Sites the Main Target for New Retail Rush ;
Kerch, Orland Park: From a Farm Town to a Boom
Town: Village's Growth Continues the Pace Started in
1960s.
110
Road Sites the Main Target for New Retail Rush ;
From Prairie to Pavement, 234; Blair Kamin, South
Suburbs on Comeback Trail: Some Towns Leap into an
Elite Tier, Chicago Tribune, January 22, 1989.
111
From Prairie to Pavement, 234; Michaels, Orland Park
Business Boom La Grange Road Sites the Main Target
for New Retail Rush.
112
Village of Orland Park, 1.
113
114
Kathleen Myler, Boom gave Orland Park wealth of
newer homes, Chicago Tribune, September 6, 1981,
N_A1A; Kathleen Myler, Most Less than 15 Years Old:
Orland Park has Wealth of Newer Homes, Chicago
Tribune, October 4, 1981, S_B1A; Hardy, Population
67
booms as Orland Square draws like magnet.; Linn

Allen, "Southwest Suburban Orland Park Can't Say
'No'
115
116
Ibid., 295.
117
Plan, 3.
118
Ibid., 4.
119
From Prairie to Pavement, 209-210.
120
Say 'No'
121
Ibata, Orland Park is Blossoming into a 'Boom
Town'
122
123
Diana Strzalka, Houses get bigger, better in latest
boom, Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2003, 52.
124
Say 'No'
125
Wm. S. Lawrence and Associates. Orland Park,
Plan, 5.
126
Ibid., 2.
127
Ibid., 20.
128
Say 'No'; David Elsner, In Orland, Growth is the Issue:
Campaign 89, Chicago Tribune, February 9, 1989, S1;
Stevenson Swanson, 'Golf center' tees off in pursuit
of growth dominance, Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1983,
ST9; Todd Wilkinson, Orland Park Mayor Stirs Things
Up, Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1986, 14; Art Barnum,
Suburb Finding Pleasure in Growing Pains, Chicago
Tribune, June 1, 1983, ST4.
129
Diana Delogu, Orland Park Rejects Proposal for
Town Homes: Developer's Plans Call For Too Much
Density, Village Board Decides, Chicago Tribune,
August 03, 1994; Diana Delogu, 2nd Orland Builder
Gets Ok For High-density Project, Chicago Tribune,

May 12, 1994; Diana Delogu, Spring Creek Deal Haunts
Orland Park. Chicago Tribune, April 29, 1994; Elsner,
Bucolic Area on Verge of Boom Rustic Ways Face
Urban Expansion Series: Southwest: The New Frontier.
First in a Series about Growth and Development Issues
in the Southwest Suburbs and the Challenges the
Region Faces.
130
Village of Orland Park Community Development
Department, Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park
(Orland Park: Village of Orland Park, April 1, 1991).
131
Ibid., 4.
132
Ibid., 6.
133
Ibid., 23-24.
134
Chicago Press, 2008), 249.
135
U.S. Census Bureau. 2010-2014 American
Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Prepared by
Social
Explorer.
http://www.socialexplorer.com/
(accessed January 10, 2016).
136
com/ (accessed January 10, 2016).
137
US Census, 2010-2014 American Community Survey
5-Year Estimates.
138
ESRI Business Analyst, Community Profile: Orland
Park, December 10, 2015.
139
5-Year Estimates.
140
Village of Orland Park. Village of Orland Park 2013
Comprehensive Plan, Orland Park, IL, Village of Orland

Park, 2013, 25.
141
5-Year Estimates.
142
Ibid.
143
Park.
144
Comprehensive Plan, 31.
145
5-Year Estimates, US Census, 2005-2009 American
Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
146
Zillow, "Orland Park IL Home Prices & Home Values,"
Zillow, May 31, 2016, accessed July 03, 2016, http://
www.zillow.com/orland-park-il/home-values/
147
Ibid.
148
U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal-Employer
Household Dynamics Program Origin-Destination
Employment Statistics (Beginning of Quarter
Employment, 2nd Quarter of 2002-2014), OnTheMap
Application, http://lehdmap.ces.census.gov
149
5-Year Estimates.
150
151
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning,
MetroPulse Community Data Snapshots: Orland Park,
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, June 2016,
www.cmap.illinois.gov/data/metropulse/
152
U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal-Employer
Household Dynamics Program Origin-Destination
Employment Statistics (Beginning of Quarter
Employment, 2nd Quarter of 2002-2014)
153
154
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning,
MetroPulse Community Data Snapshots.
155
156
Ibid., 143.
157
Village of Orland Park, Draft Amendment to
Ordinance #330, Village of Orland Park, September 8,

1981; Memo from Lynn A. Neuhart, Village Manager to
Village President Melvin Doogan and Members of the
Board of Trustees, Redevelopment of Original Orland
Park, personal communication, June 23, 1981; K.
Leonard, Change comes to Old Orland, Southtown
Economist, July 29, 1982, 14; J. Fleszewski, Old
Orland area preserves the past, Southtown Economist,
May 27-31, 1987.
158
K. Leonard, Change comes to Old Orland,
Southtown Economist, July 29, 1982, 14.
159
Ibid.
160
Memo from Lynn A. Neuhart, Village Manager to
Village President Melvin Doogan and Members of the
Board of Trustees, Redevelopment of Original Orland
Park, personal communication, June 23, 1981.
161
Neighborhood Preservation Committee & Old Orland
Homeowners Association, Village of Orland Park
Archives, February 1, 1982.
162
J. Fleszewski, Orland proposes historic district,
Southtown Economist, October 10, 1984.
163
Ibid.
164
Village of Orland Park. Ordinance 1517 - Historical
Preservation Commission (passed March 31, 1986);
Village of Orland Park. Ordinance 1556 - Amending
"Old Orland Preservation Ordinance (passed August
13, 1986); Village of Orland Park. Ordinance 1558a
- Amending "Old Orland Preservation Ordinance
(passed August 20, 1986); Village of Orland Park.
Ordinance 1592 - Old Orland Preservation (passed
October 20, 1986).
165
J. Fleszewski, Old Orland area preserves the past,
Southtown Economist, May 27-31, 1987.
166
From Prairie to Pavement, Orland Park: Orland Heritage
Book Association, 1991, 180.
167
Village of Orland Park, Community Development
Department. Comprehensive Plan for Orland Park.
Orland Park: Village of Orland Park, April 1, 1991.
168
Ibid., 16 17.
169
Ibid.
Ibid., 19.
Ibid., 24.
172
1960s.
173
Elsner, Facing Future in 2 Directions: Orland
Park Pushes Growth; Frankfort Clings to Past. Series
Southwest: The New Frontier. This is the Third in a
Series of Articles about Growth and Development
Issues in the Southwest Suburbs and the Challenges
the Region Faces.
174
Ibid.
175
Ibid.
176
Ibid.
177
Rush; Kerch, Orland Park: From a Farm Town to a
Boom Town: Village's Growth Continues the Pace
Started in 1960s.
178
1960s.
179
N. Swedberg, Survey examines perceptions of
Orland Park, Daily Southtown, January 21, 2016.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/dailysouthtown/news/ct-sta-orland-branding-plan-st-012220160121-story.html; Ann R. Martin, New project has
old downtown feel, Chicago Tribune, May 2, 2003: 5;
Ashley Rueff, Downtown area taking shape: Orland
Park is closer to 20-year quest to create a town center.
Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2013: 1.
180
Patricia Trebe, Pursuing an Ambitious Vision; Orland
Park Mayor says a Downtown Tops List of Priorities.
181
Martin, Ann R. Orland park aims to revive
downtown.Chicago Tribune, June 1, 2003.
182
Taylor W. Anderson, "Orland Park's Downtown
Focus Part of Suburban Trend," Chicago Tribune,Feb
13, 2014; Mike Nolan, Suburbs' downtown plans move
toward transit-oriented housing, Daily Southtown,
July 31, 2015.
170
171
68
69
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
An Analysis of Opportunities and Challenges in the Old Orland Historic District
Over the past decades, Orland Park has experienced rapid
growth which has nonetheless impacted the original downtown
area. Today, surrounded by modern suburban development, the
Old Orland Historic District faces new challenges that will impact
its future growth and the preservation of its buildings. This
chapter will describe the key aspects of Old Orland, its historic
and current importance, and its policy context.
To determine assets, challenges and opportunities, the existing
conditions in Old Orland will be evaluated, specifically in regards to
the built environment, connectivity, surrounding neighborhoods,
historic resources, open space, district character, business
activity, and zoning and land development policies. These issues
will be examined for their impact to the preservation of the
historic district as well as how they factor into its future growth.
Recommendations will be proposed in the following chapter to
enhance the uniqueness of the Old Orland area by building on
its assets, addressing challenges and maximizing opportunities.
The following factors, discussed more in depth within this

chapter, have been identified to analyze and then to create
specific planning recommendations for the historic district:
1) Existing Framework: Connectivity & Barriers
2) Sense of Place & Character
3) Land Uses
4) Surrounding Districts and New Development
5) Open Space
6) Streetscape & Signage
7) Parking
8) Historic Resources
9) The Policy Context: Regulations, Guidelines & Programs
10) Preservation Programs & Incentives
11) Partnerships & Education
70
1) EXISTING FRAMEWORK: CONNECTIVITY & BARRIERS

Old Orlands built environment is a legacy of its growth over the course of
more than a century. The Historic District sits in the heart of Orland Park,
surrounded by different types of housing, community institutions, the Village
Center, shopping, services, schools, parks, a newly forming Main Street
Downtown District, and the Metra train station. Old Orland has a network of
relatively small blocks with sidewalks, an urban form that generally favors
pedestrian and commuter access and circulation. However, both pedestrian and
automobile circulation is restricted by the existing street configuration and lack
of connections. Even with its walkable small blocks, mix of residential homes
alongside a compact commercial area, sense of neighborhood identity, and
proximity to amenities and transportation, the District remains isolated from the
surrounding community and nearby development. The existing framework not
only limits connectivity between Old Orland and the adjacent areas, but also
within the District itself.
STREET FRAMEWORK & PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS

The Norfolk Southern Railroad, previously called the Wabash Railroad, bisects
the Old Orland District on a northeast and southwest axis. The diagonal land
area owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad is unincorporated. The limited street
and pedestrian connections caused by the railroad tracks effectively splits
Old Orland into two distinct districts. The separation particularly impacts the
commercial areas, creating a lack of connectivity between the businesses along
Union Avenue and Beacon Avenue. The two sides of the District are connected
along 143rd Street to the north, a major thoroughfare, and 144th Street, an
underpass in the middle of the District that connects West Avenue to Beacon
Avenue. 144th Place is the only local street on Old Orland that provides an eastwest connection between West Avenue and LaGrange Road.
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BISECTS THE DISTRICT
71
LAGRANGE ROAD
142ND STREET
High Traffic
Thoroughfare
Challenging
Intesections
Lack of Union Beacon Avenue

Connection
Limited
Connection to
Ravinia Avenue
LEGEND
BEACON AVENUE
RF
OL
K
SO
UT
HE
RN
Railroad
Bisects the
Historic
District
NO
WEST AVENUE
143RD STREET
RAVINIA AVENUE
UNION AVENUE
SO
UT
H
W
ES
143RD STREET
METRA STATION
Old Orland Historic District

Lack of Pedrestrian &
Vehicle Connectivity
Challenging Intersections
Metra Station
FRAMEWORK & CONNECTIVITY ISSUES IN OLD ORLAND & TO SURROUNDING AREAS
72
Heavy traffic along 143rd Street imposes physical barriers on the Old
Orland Historic District, particularly impacting how it links to the Main
Street Downtown area. As a result of the railroad bisecting the District and
the physical barriers of created by the high trafficked thoroughfare, there
are important connections to resolve. Additionally, the number of streets
intersections with 143rd Street on the north side of Old Orland creates both
unsafe road crossings and a confusing traffic pattern. From West Avenue to
Ravinia Avenue along 143rd Street, there are four traffic signal lights (West
Avenue, Union Avenue, Southwest Highway, and Ravinia Avenue), a railroad
crossing, in addition to three other road intersections (Brook Street, Beacon
Avenue, and Main Street) and multiple parking lot driveways. Union Avenue
and Southwest Highway intersection traffic signals are directly adjacent to
one another, creating a confusing and inefficient circulation pattern.
LaGrange Road, another major thoroughfare located to the east of Old Orland,
also creates a challenging physical barrier to connectivity. Fast-moving
automobile traffic poses safety concerns at certain intersections. However,
the LaGrange Road widening project is currently underway, which should
reduce some of the safety and streetscape concerns. The project includes
additional road lanes, intersection improvements with improvement traffic
signals, a landscaped median, decorative lighting, parkway trees, decorative
sidewalks concrete cross walks, and corner monument signs.1
In addition to street connections, sidewalks serve as an important feature for
both residents and visitors, connecting Old Orland to the surrounding Main
Street, Village Center, Orland Crossing and LaGrange Road Corridor areas.
Fortunately, a decent existing pedestrian realm is in place. The residential
areas of Old Orland include walkable, tree-lined neighborhood streets that
highlight the areas historic character. However, there are no sidewalks on
some streets and either a lack of or inefficient pedestrian routes between
important areas within and surrounding Old Orland. As discussed further
below, the pedestrian realm within the business areas suffer from a lack of
engaging storefront atmosphere. Some areas along 143rd Street, Beacon
Avenue, and Union Avenue do not have an inviting appearance and lack
pedestrian amenities.
73
HEAVY TRAFFIC ALONG 143RD STREET
CHALLENGING INTERSECTIONS OF 143RD STREET, UNION AVENUE, AND

RAILROAD TRACKS
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER LAGRANGE ROAD TO MAIN STREET

DISTRICT AND TRAIN STATION
"COW PATH" ALONG RAILROAD CONNECTING METRA PARKING LOT ON

144TH STREET TO 143RD STREET
CROSSWALK AT BEACON AVENUE AND 143RD STREET
EXISTING MULTI-USE PATH CONNECTIONS
74
143RD STREET METRA STATION
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

The 143rd Street Station along Metras
Southwest Service commuter rail line
provides access to Chicagos Union
Station and Manhattan, Illinois. The train
serves Main Street Downtown District, Old
Orland Historic District, and surrounding
commercial and residential uses. In 2014,
there were 493 weekday boardings, up
110% just eight years earlier in 2006,
which had 234 boardings.2 While train use
is on the rise, at this time, trains do not run
as frequently, particularly on the weekends,
as other Metra Lines.
75
WALKABILITY TO NEARBY DISTRICTS & AMENITIES

USES AND OPEN SPACE WITHIN A
10-MINUTE WALKING DISTANCE
OF OLD ORLAND
-- Main Street Downtown District
-- 143rd Street Metra Train Station
-- Shopping, Restaurants, Entertainment,
Offices and Services along LaGrange
Road and in Orland Crossing
-- Antique Stores, Restaurants, Local
Businesses, and Services on Beacon
Avenue, Union Avenue, and 143rd Street
-- Village Center civic, institutional,
and recreational buildings
-- Orland Grove Cook County Forest
Preserve & McGinnis Slough
-- Humphrey Woods
-- Crescent Park
-- Frontier Park
-- Neighborhood Park on 144th
Place and First Avenue
-- Humphrey House Museum
-- Orland Park Elementary School
-- Residential Neighborhoods
-- Churches
76
2) SENSE OF PLACE & CHARACTER

Old Orlands character is dramatically different from
other commercial and residential areas in the Village.
The Historic District benefits from a network of walkable,
small blocks, low-density pattern of mixed uses, and
close proximity to amenities and transportation. Its
mix of residential, commercial, educational, religious,
and municipal uses is not uncommon for older
neighborhoods and reflects the development pattern
of those who settled in the area before the age of the
automobile dominated.
Local businesses contribute to its sense of place
and the unique character of the downtown area. The
collection of historic buildings creates a foundation for
the built environment that respects the Villages past
and allows for growth to help define the areas future.
The residential areas include tree-lined streets featuring
both historic and newly constructed homes, many with
attractive front porches.
However, overall some streets suffer from outdated
building facades, underutilized or vacant land, surface
parking lots, and other unattractive streetscape features.
Some buildings are lackluster and suffer from deferred
maintenance over time. These features contribute to
a poor pedestrian environment. The array of stores,
restaurants, offices, and single family homes do not
create a cohesive identity for the District and the area is
characterized by a lack of a unified feeling.
A vibrant mixed-use downtown is growing around Old
Orland in the adjacent Main Street Downtown District,
which may contribute to the changing character of the
District.
77
78
3) LAND USES
The Old Orland District has a mix of uses. Single-family homes dominate the
area, with mixed-use, commercial, office, institutional, and multi-family buildings
located at the north end of the District along 143rd Street, Beacon Avenue, and
Union Avenue. A handful of churches are scattered throughout Old Orland and
an elementary school is located on the north side of 143rd Street. Some of the
most notable historic properties include the Twin Towers Church and the John
Humphrey House Museum, which are both listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. Recently, the Orland Park History Museum opened in the former
Village Hall site on Beacon Avenue.
MIXED USE BUILDINGS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The commercial area along Union Avenue and Beacon Avenue primarily consists
of a small number of antique shops and stores, with three small restaurants
along 143rd Street. Known as Antique Row, the small commercial area is a
destination of choice for many seeking antiques. However, existing businesses
have limited hours and the lack of strong anchor establishments prevents a
dynamic business climate. Because Orland Park is dominated by national chain
stores and big-box shopping centers, Old Orlands small and local businesses
are often overlooked.
HUMPHREY HOUSE MUSEUM
RESTAURANTS
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
79
SO
UT
HW
ES
T
HW
LAND USE MAP
143RD STREET
LAGRANGE ROAD
RAVINIA A
VE
NU
LEGEND
WEST AVENUE
ME
TR
AS
OU
TH
W
ES
ANTIQUE STORES
Old Orland
Historic District
Village Boundary
Metra Station
1/2 MILE
1/4
EXISTING LAND USES

Office
Financial Institution
Mixed Use (Vertical)
Commercial
Auto Dealership
Manufacturing
Single Family Detached Residential
Single Family Attached Residential
Multi Family Residential
Senior Living
Golf Course
Open Space
Utility
Vacant/Agriculture
94TH AVENUE
CHURCHES
Government
School
Higher Education
Funeral Home
Place of Worship
80
4) SURROUNDING DISTRICTS & NEW DEVELOPMENT

1) Main Street Downtown District
2) Orland Crossing District
3) Village Center District
4) LaGrange Road Corridor
ES
T
HW
An understanding of the surrounding development is important for the

preservation and the future growth of Old Orland. The creation of the
Main Street Downtown District as well as development in the other nearby

neighborhoods marks a new phase in Orland Parks history. As new
projects continue to materialize, Old Orland will become an increasingly
attractive place for redevelopment and may become vulnerable to new
pressures. An an influx of visitors, employees, and residents to the area,
new customers will be drawn in to utilize businesses and restaurants in
Old Orland. The long-term impacts of the Main Street Downtown District
on Old Orland are yet to be seen, particularly if redevelopment results in
the loss of historic and old buildings.
HW
UT
SO
SO
UT
HW
Cook County
Orland Grove
Forest Preserve
T
ES
HW
Metra
Station
Residences at
Orland Crossing
LAGRANGE ROAD
There are a handful of neighborhoods within walking distance from Old

Orland, including:
Marianos Grocery
Store
Orland Crossing
Orland Park
Elementary
Old Orland
Historic District
144TH PLACE
OLD
ORLAND
Orland Park
Recreation
Franklin
Loebe
Center
Village
Hall
147TH STREET
Humphrey
Sports
Complex
Village Boundary
Metra Station
1/4
1/2 MILE
WEST AVENUE
Old Orland
Historic District
Orland
Township
Orland Park
Library
LAGRANGE ROAD
LAGRANGE ROAD
LEGEND
RAVINIA A
VE
NU
WEST AVENUE
Humphrey
Woods
RAVINIA AVENUE
VILLAGE
CAMPUS
T
OU
TH
W
ES
ME
TR
AS
Frontier
Park
Civic
Center
143RD STREET
145TH PLACE
ORLAND
CROSSING
81
BEACON AVENUE
143RD STREET
UNION AVENUE
MAIN
STREET
143RD STREET
University of
Chicago Medical
Center
Ninety7Fifty
Orland Square
Mall
1) MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN

DISTRICT TIMELINE4
Over the past few decades, the Village of Orland

Park has been working toward developing a new
downtown district. Located on 143rd Street between
LaGrange Road and Southwest Highway, the 27-acre
site previously included industrial land uses and the
Orland Plaza shopping center.3 It is currently being
transformed into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly,
transit-oriented downtown anchored around the
143rd Street Metra Station. The Village owns a large
portion of the land, which is planned to be converted
into mixed-use development with retail, office, multifamily residential, and entertainment uses as well as,
community gathering and open spaces, and a parking
deck. Featuring transit-oriented development, the
area has and will continue to feature a higher density
immediately around the 143rd Street Metra train
station. A tax-increment financing (TIF) district was
created in 2004 and was expanded in 2007 to help
finance land acquisition, remediation, infrastructure
improvements, and redevelopment.
To date, the Main Street Downtown District
development includes a recently constructed 143rd
Street Metra Station and parking, small public
green space known as Crescent Park, and a luxury
apartment building with ground floor commercial
spaces known as Ninety7Fifty on the Park. Buildings
currently under construction include a parking deck
and the University of Chicago Medicine Center for
Advanced Care. Existing multi-family residential
building, single family homes, stores, and offices
are located south of 143rd Street. Each of the new
developments will be briefly discussed below.
2004: TIF District created and

zoning code changes
2006: New water and sewer utilities
completed
2007: 143rd Street Metra train
station opened; 142nd Street and
Main Street completed
2008: Regional detention facility
completed; Crescent Park completed
2009: Developer selected for public/
private partnership
2010: 143rd Street and LaGrange
Road intersection improvements
2011: Village acquires 100% of the
properties in the Main Street District
2013: Ninety7Fifty on the Park, a
295-unit apartment development,
opened; LaGrange pedestrian bridge
opens
May 2014: University of Chicago
Medical Center project announced
January 2016: Marianos Fresh Market
opened in Orland Crossing
MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT BEFORE

REDEVELOPMENT
April / May 2016: Residences at

Orland Crossing opened
ABOVE: Orland Plaza Shopping Center and industrial properties located within the Main Street Downtown District before
redevelopment (Village of Orland Park; James, Marquette Bank, Orland Park, IL. Flickr. February 5, 2012).
82
MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT BEFORE REDEVELOPMENT
DOWNTOWNMAINSTREETDISTRICT(CONT.)
MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT PLAN
ExistingParcelsSummary
ParcelA
VillageOwned
ParcelB
VillageOwned
ParcelC
VillageOwned
ParcelD
Ninety7FiftyonthePark
ParcelE
VillageOwned
ParcelF
PublicParkingDeck
ParcelG
UniversityofChicago
Outlot
VillageOwned
LEFT: Aerial image of the Main Street Downtown District before redevelopment, in May 2000, looking northeast (Village of Orland Park); RIGHT: Main Street District Parcels and Overall
Plan (Village of Orland Park, RFP #16-017 Downtown Main Street District Parcel C Development, Village of Orland Park, April 13, 2016).
9|P a g e
83
143rd Street Metra Station

The new 143rd Street Metra Station opened in 2007 and highlights the Villages
efforts to create a new downtown district featuring transit-oriented development.5
The station is one of three Metra stops in Orland Park. Located on the South
West Service Line, the station provides train access to the Chicago Loop to the
northeast as well as to Manhattan, Illinois to the southwest.
The station replaced a previously outdated, aged train station and was constructed
with Victorian-style elements to match the character of the nearby Old Orland
Historic District.6 Streetscaping, including trees, seating, ornamental lighting, and
landscaping, were incorporated as part of the final project.
Crescent Park
OLD & NEW 143RD STREET METRA TRAIN STATION
Crescent Park, at the center of the Main Street Downtown District, provides open
gathering space for summer events and concerts and is connected to other
neighborhoods and green spaces via sidewalks, bike trails, and roadways.
Ninety7Fifty on the Park
Completed in 2013, Ninety7Fifty on the Park was one of the first phases of
development for the creation of the Main Street Downtown District.7 Located
at 143rd Street and Ravinia Avenue, the six-story, 295-unit apartment building
includes luxury rentals, 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and a parking
garage. The building features high end finishes and a range of upscale amenities
including an outdoor pool, indoor lounges, theater room, fitness center, outdoor
lounge with grilling areas and a fire pit, a dog park, a computer room, and
conference room. With a minimum qualifying income of $70,000, rentals range
from $1,500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment to more than $2,500 a month
for larger apartment units.8 The building has maintained a high occupancy rate
since opening in 2013. As of Summer 2016, the building is 94% occupied.9
Its location near the 143rd Street Metra Station has deemed it an ideal place for
both empty nesters and young professionals looking to commute to the Chicago
Loop. The Village of Orland Park assisted in financing the $65 million project
through a $38 million loan and about $24 million in financial incentives.10
NINETY7SEVEN FIFTY ON THE PARK

TOP: The old Metra train station was replaced with a modern train station in 2007 (Village
of Orland Park); BOTTOM: Ninety7Fifty on the Park, a luxury apartment building, on the
northwest corner of 143rd Street and Ravinia Avenue (Salmon).
84
Service Areas (SSAs) setup to establish cost

sharingofgeneralmaintenanceandeconomic
activitieswithintheDistrict.
University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care & Village

Parking Garage
The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care (UCMC) is

currently under construction at the corner of 143rd Street and LaGrange
Road. Anticipated to be completed by the
end of 2016 or early 2017, the
four-story, 120,000 square foot outpatient clinic will offer a range of medical
services including radiation oncology, orthopedics, gastroenterology,
cardiology, pediatrics, women's health, and surgical consulting. A pharmacy
with a drive-through will be located on the ground

floor and a restaurant outlot
building is also planned onsite.
The Village is also in the process of constructing

a five-story parking deck to
serve the Main Street Downtown District, which was included as part of the
development agreement with the University of Chicago. When completed,
the parking deck will include over 520 parking spaces. The majority of the
deck will be used for public parking, with the exception of the two upper levels
that will be reserved during business hours
for UCMC employee parking.
Additionally, a surface parking lot north of the UCMC building will be available
for public parking on nights and weekends.
UCMC represents the most current stage ininvestment in the new Main Street
LotCoverage:
Height:
75%max
6stories,70max
11
12
Downtown District. The University of Chicagos investment in the project is

estimated to be over $65 million. As part of the negotiations, the University will
pay the Village $18.1 million over a 25-year lease term, and taking ownership of
the land after that. 13 The Village has estimated about $8.6 million will be spent
on additional infrastructure, which includes over $1 million for the parking lot
and $2.6 million for the garage, with the University of Chicago contributing
$10.6 million toward the garage.
With nearly 700 patients expected to be treated per day for diagnosis, treatment
and therapy services, the UCMC will vastly change the Main Street Downtown
District.14 The project will attract an influx of people to the downtown area,
which will create a busier and vibrant downtown atmosphere that will push
development forward on the remaining vacant lots. The project is estimated to
generate nearly $30 million in revenue for Orland Parkover 25 years.15
85
AerialwithExistingandFutureImprovements
SITE PLAN
10|P a g e
RENDERING OF UCMC BUILDING
RENDERING OF PARKING DECK, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
VIEW FROM NORTH EAST
SCALE: NTS
THE RENDERINGS ARE CONCEPTUAL AND DO

NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE FINAL
PROJECT IN ALL DETAIL. FOR SPECIFIC
CONFIGURATIONS, DIMENSIONS AND
MATERIALS, REFER TO THE ARCHITECTURAL
DRAWINGS.
ORLAND PARK, ILLINOIS
MAIN STREET
TRIANGLE PARKING
STRUCTURE
EXTERIOR
RENDERINGS
SCALE: NTS
THOMAS / O'CONNOR ASSOCIATES LLC

ARCHITECTURE / URBAN DESIGN
1120 GRANT STEET
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS 60201
224-999-7350
TOA
B VIEW FROM SOUTH WEST
A-0.0
TOP: Rendering of the Main Street

Downtown District parking deck (Village of
Orland Park, RFP #16-017 Downtown Main
Street District Parcel C Development, Village
of Orland Park, April 13, 2016).
BOTTOM: UCMC under construction in July
2016 (Salmon)
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Site Plan for UCMC
and the proposed parking deck (Village of
Orland Park, RFP #16-017 Downtown Main
Street District Parcel C Development, April
13, 2016;
UCMC UNDER CONSTRUCTION, LOOKING SOUTH ON LAGRANGE ROAD
OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: Mike Nolan,

"Clinic underway in Orland Park, garage next
up," Daily Southtown, September 30, 2015).
86
2) ORLAND CROSSING
Orland Crossing, located to the east of the Main Street area across
LaGrange Road, includes a recently constructed shopping center with
a mix of stores, restaurants, and offices.16 Constructed in 2006, Orland
Crossing was planned to include walkable blocks, mixed uses, and a
connected street system to complement the Main Street Downtown
District. It is connected to the Main Street area and the 143rd Street
Metra Station via a pedestrian bridge over LaGrange Road as well as
sidewalk connections along LaGrange Road.
The area also includes the John Humphrey Drive corridor, which includes
a cluster of office buildings. In addition to office spaces, stores include
Ann Taylor, Talbots, Yankee Candle, Chicos, Coldwater Creek, White
House Black Market, and restaurants such as Starbucks, P.F. Changs,
Brass Tap, and Granite City Food & Brewery. A Marianos Fresh Market
grocery store recently opened in January 2016.
The Residences at Orland Crossing
The Residences at Orland Crossing is the second luxury rental community
to be constructed and is located adjacent to the Main Street Downtown
area. Located at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road, the 231-unit project
opened in May 2016 and is part of the overall planning to create a
pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use downtown.17 The 12.5 acre site has direct
access to the developing Main Street downtown area and the 143rd
Street Metra station by the pedestrian bridge over LaGrange Road.
The Residences at Orland Crossing includes four mid-rise apartment
buildings with 42 apartments and 38 two-story rowhomes.18 With
a minimum qualifying income of over $100,000, units begin at about
$1,600 per month for a one-bedroom unit and are over $2,600 a month
for a three-bedroom unit. Like Ninety7Fifty, the Residences at Orland
Crossing offer luxury and high end amenities, including a business
center, club room, coffee bar, theater room, swimming pool, fitness
center, and outdoor fire pit and grilling stations. Since opening, there
has been a high rate of leasing.
87
ORLAND CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER

ABOVE: Images of shopping, restaurants, and grocery store in Orland Crossing (Village of Orland
Park, Salmon).
RESIDENCES AT ORLAND CROSSING
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE OVER LAGRANGE ROAD CONNECTING

ORLAND CROSSING TO THE MAIN STREET TRIANGLE AND
METRA TRAIN STATION
88
3) VILLAGE CENTER
Village Center area is located to the south
of Old Orland and includes a concentration
of public institutions along Ravinia Avenue.
The area includes Village Hall, the Franklin
Loebe Recreation Center, the Civic Center,
Orland Township, Orland Park Public
Library, Orland Park Police Department,
Orland Fire Protection District, and two
schools. The John Humphrey sports
fields, an outdoor amphitheater, and the
historic preserved Humphrey Woods are
also included in the Village Center District.
In addition to housing civic buildings, a
number of popular special events are
frequently held at the Village Center, such
as the summer farmers market and the
Taste of Orland Park.
VILLAGE CENTER
4) LAGRANGE ROAD CORRIDOR

The LaGrange Road Corridor is a major
north-south arterial road that serves as
the spine of Orland Park. As the towns
primary roadway, the commercial corridor
provides access to a variety of shopping,
restaurants, offices, and entertainment
options. LaGrange Road is car-oriented,
with large parking lots dominating the
street and limited pedestrian and bike
mobility. However, the LaGrange Road
widening project is currently underway
to help to reduce traffic congestion as
well as improve pedestrian and bicycle
transportation options.
89
LAGRANGE ROAD CORRIDOR
5) OPEN SPACE
There are a number of parks and recreational amenities
within and close to Old Orland. In Old Orland, there is a small
neighborhood park on First Avenue and 144th Place. The
Humphrey House Museum, at 9830 144th Place, is owned by
the Orland Historical Society. The property is considered an
Orland Park Landmark and is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. The Humphrey House includes the largest
open space in Old Orland, a half-acre piece of land is located
to the north of the Museum. The space was previously
planned for a community botanical garden, but was never
implemented because of storm water runoff drainage issues.
POCKET PARK
FRONTIER PARK
HUMPHREY WOODS
OPEN SPACE MAP
The Orland Grove Forest Preserve and McGinnis Slough are

located directly to the north of Old Orland, which are owned
and operated by the Cook County Forest Preserve District
and provide public access to natural and open spaces. The
wetlands provide a wildlife refuge that attracts thousands of
waterfowl and shorebirds.
Frontier Park is located just outside of the Old Orland Historic
District to the east, on the north side of 144th Place between
Beacon Avenue and Ravinia Avenue. The one-acre park
includes a playground, grills, and a pavilion. Aside from 144th
Place and its location behind the Old Village Hall on Beacon
Avenue, its connections to Old Orland are limited.
Humphrey Woods and the Humphrey Sports Complex are
located southeast of Old Orland, within the Village Center
District. A multi-use trail throughout the area provides
pedestrian and bicycle connections to the different civic
buildings. Yet, even with these natural amenities, there is
a strong lack of public gathering spaces evenly distributed
within the District and a lack of connection to the surrounding
park space.
90
6) STREETSCAPE & SIGNAGE

Areas of Old Orland's streetscape do not contribute to a strong sense of place
or inviting pedestrian realm. Streets with the most traffic and businesses,
including 143rd Street, Beacon Avenue, and Union Avenue, could benefit from
streetscape improvements. Issues with Old Orlands streetscape has been a
problem for over a decade. According to the Village of Orland Park Streetscape
Study, prepared by Land Design Collaborative in 1992:
For as much history as is inherent in the quaint environs called Old
Orland, as much is wasted and underutilized, often rendering Old Orland
non-existent in the overall vision of Orland Park. Poor access throughout
the commercial district limits potential use as well as poor delineation
between pedestrian and vehicular access areas. The overall setting would
be enhanced with the additional of street trees and various plantings,
which the area now lacks. Special features need to be enhanced as well.19
While there are several historic buildings which give the area character, it
is vehicular-dominated and suffers from 143rd Street serving as a major
thoroughfare. The following features create an unwelcoming image:
-------------
Overhead utility lines and poles

Cluttered and inconsistent signage
Lack landscaping and trees
Outdated and some poorly maintained building facades
Large number of surface parking lots, underutilized lots, curb cuts, and
parking lot driveways
Heavy traffic and difficult crosswalks along 143rd Street, which serves as a
major commercial thoroughfare
Poor condition of some sidewalks and lack of sidewalks on some streets
Lack of unifying elements and consistent identity
Lack of engaging public gathering spaces
Limited place-making features including benches, garbage receptacles,
plaques, outdoor seating
Inconsistent street lighting
Lack of gateway features and way-finding signage to the Historic District
from key locations in the Village
OUTDATED & POORLY PLACED HISTORIC

DISTRICT SIGNAGE
91
STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS NEAR MAIN

STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
OVERHEAD UTILITY LINES
LACK OF LANDSCAPING & POOR STREET APPEARANCE ON UNION AVENUE
UNDER UTILIZED LOTS & SURFACE PARKING LOTS ON 143RD STREET
92
7) PARKING
Old Orland has Metra commuter parking, on-street parking, and private offstreet parking. Since the 1980s, a lack of parking has been cited as an issue
for businesses in Old Orland. Many businesses have complained there is not
enough surface parking lots or off street parking to accommodate customers.
Existing plans for increasing public parking within the areas around Old Orland
are currently underway. The Village is currently constructing a five-story parking
deck to serve the Main Street Downtown District and as part of the development
agreement with the University of Chicago Medicine Center.20 When completed,
the parking deck will include over 520 parking spaces, with majority of spaces
for public parking with the exception of the two upper levels reserved during
business hours for University of Chicago employee parking. Additionally, a
surface parking lot north of the University of Chicago Center will be available for
public parking on nights and weekends.
STREET PARKING ON BEACON AVENUE
93
The addition of public parking spaces within the Main Street Downtown District
will provide nearby parking to Old Orland. While these public parking lots are
within waking distance from Old Orland, they may not be utilized by visitors for
shopping and services in the Historic District. Off-street parking can be improved
by better organizing existing and proposed parking lots. The existing surface
parking lots contribute to poor pedestrian connections, particularly along 143rd
Street and other business areas. The large number of parking lot curb cuts and
driveways along 143rd Street create both an unattractive street wall and unsafe
road crossings. Consolidating driveways to minimize openings and screening
parking lots from view will provide a buffer from adjacent uses and pedestrian
walkways.
SURFACE PARKING LOTS
RESIDENTIAL PARKING
8) HISTORIC RESOURCES
One of Old Orlands strongest assets is its historic character. The area remains a vestige of
history, illuminating a time when agriculture and the railroad dominated before Orland Parks
turning point as a post-war suburb. The Historic District is home to the Villages oldest and
historically significant buildings, including the first bank and oldest church. In addition to
these unique properties, examples of National or Folk style buildings are scattered throughout
the District and define its character. Relatively simple, modest homes of frame construction
reflect the utilitarian style of the working-class people who settled in the area. There are few
references to the architects that built or designed many of the houses scattered throughout
the District.
Growth and change can be seen in Old Orland, as small farm houses and older buildings
sit next to larger, newer houses and mixed-use buildings. The neighborhood represents the
Villages early days, but also includes building styles popular from all eras of its development.
According to a 2008 Survey, about 20% of the buildings were constructed from 1850-1899,
Orland Parks earliest period of development.21 Although many of these buildings have been
altered over time, collectively they convey the unique character of this earlier period. Early
20th century growth is also represented, with approximately 26% of the buildings constructed
from 19001940. Finally, newer homes reflect mid-century and modern styles. This unique
environment allows residents to experience the history of Orland Park from many different
eras, and illustrates the architectural heritage that is extant beyond the borders of the
established Old Orland Historic District. It is important for historic buildings outside of the
district to be recognized, appreciated and preserved by being valued by individual owners
and the community at large.22
The people who built houses and businesses in Orland Park were generally not wealthy.
As residents of a rural village, they constructed modest buildings; the occasional larger,
high style homes were constructed by prosperous business owners. The Villages
rural heritage is reflected in the large numbers of National style buildings... Even John
Humphrey, an attorney, State Senator, and Village Mayor built his house in a vernacular
form... Often there is little information about the people who designed and built buildings
within a community and this is especially true when a community has a preponderance
of National style and folk forms. These buildings were constructed by local builders, not
trained architects. This bears true in the [Old Orland] area... 23
Sense of place is not solely defined by high style, architect

designed buildings. Orland Park prospered because of
the contributions of farmers, shop keepers, blacksmiths,
laborers, and teachers, among others. Their contribution
to Orland Parks growth and physical character is partially
represented in their homes and commercial buildings, often
Vernacular styles, which in turn contribute to the areas
unique character. These homes and buildings, if restored,
will more strongly represent the important historic and
unique character of Orland Park. 24
TWIN TOWERS
HUMPHREY HOUSE
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
94
9) THE POLICY CONTEXT: REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND PROGRAMS

HISTORIC PRESERVATION STRATEGY & PROGRAM
The Villages Historic Preservation Strategy is intended to guide historic preservation activities, creates
goals for the Old Orland Historic District and other significant properties, and includes specifics steps
and actions to implement goals. The strategy was originally approved by the Village Board in March
1996 and then was revised in September 2002. Although the strategy is supposed to be reviewed
periodically to ensure it is consistent with current preservation needs and Village goals, it has not
been updated for over a decade. While some recent historic preservation goals and objectives are
also outlined in the Villages Comprehensive Plan Community and Culture Chapter, which was
adopted in 2013, there is still not updated strategy or specific plan for the Old Orland Historic District.
EXISTING ORDINANCES
The original ordinance that established both the Old Orland Historic District and the Historic
Preservation Review Commission was approved in 1986 (Old Orland Preservation Ordinance - Ord.
1517). Since then, the ordinance has been updated and revised, with its provisions incorporated into
Orland Parks Village Code and Land Development Code (LDC).
Orland Parks LDC plays a crucial role in how historic properties are classified and protected from
demolition. The LDC outlines the regulations and policies for the entire Village, including Old Orland.
The Old Orland area is located within its own separate zoning district, known as the Old Orland
Historic District (OOH District). Special regulations put forth in Section 6-209 of the LDC apply to Old
Orland, with Section 6-209 setting the design standards, zoning regulations, and the review process
for development projects. The section also identifies individual buildings or sites that are considered
contributing structures to the District and as landmarks to the community.
In 2006, the Historic Preservation Ordinance was translated into zoning regulations in LDC Section
6-209. This large update helped to streamline projects, allowed for more administrative reviews of
projects, and continued to preserve a small number of contributing buildings to the District. The
amendment created new classifications for review criteria and additional regulations to help preserve
the District and better manage new construction projects. The Landmarks Designation review process
and new landmarks were added in 2008.25 In 2015, the Historic Preservation Review Commission
(HPRC) was decommissioned, the HRPCs duties and responsibilities were granted to the Villages
Plan Commission, and the historic preservation review process was streamlined.
95
VILLAGE OF ORLAND PARK

HISTORIC PRESERVATION STRAEGY - 2002
HISTORIC PRESERVATION GOAL
Protect, preserve and enhance Orland Park's historic,
cultural, architectural, and archeological resources for
the purpose of fostering civic pride, promoting tourism,
stabilizing and improving property values in historic
areas, supporting historic business districts, enhancing a
sense of place, strengthening our connection to the past,
and promoting the general welfare of the community.
STRATEGY ONE: Use promotion, publicity, and
public education to increase awareness of and
appreciation for Orland Parks historic, cultural,
architectural, and archeological resources.
STRATEGY TWO:
Facilitate and encourage
continuing education and professional development
for HPRC members, staff, local officials, and other
local advocates of historic preservation.
STRATEGY THREE:
Work for the physical
improvement of the Old Orland area through a
combination of public projects and private investment.
STRATEGY FOUR:
Secure preservation and
protection for historic resources that are not currently
protected as a landmark or within a historic district.
STRATEGY FIVE:
Advocate the preservation,
protection, enhancement, and restoration of
Humphrey Woods as a significant natural area.
STRATEGY SIX: Strengthen ties with other historic
preservation agencies and groups at the local, state
and national level.
Yet, even with these updates to the LDC, additional amendments are needed
to further encourage the restoration of historically or architecturally significant
structures, to avoid inappropriate changes to existing buildings, to prevent future
demolitions, and to guide future planning objectives to strengthen the Districts
economic and social vibrancy.
GREGERSON SURVEY MAP
HISTORIC BUILDING SURVEYS

Over the past decades, a number of surveys have been completed to help determine
the buildings classified as contributing structures to the historic in the LDC.
Gregerson Survey (1984)
The first historic building survey was conducted in 1984 to develop the original
Old Orland Preservation Ordinance (Ord. 1517). The Survey for the Creation of an
Old Orland Park Historic District of Local Significance, by Charles E. Gregersen
and Melvyn A. Skvarla, originally identified 8 buildings of primary significance and
33 buildings of secondary significance. The predominance of frame construction
buildings gave a clearly definable character which is of local significance and
therefore makes the area worthy of being protected through the provisions of a local
historic district designation.26 In total, 41 locally significant buildings supported the
establishment of the Historic District. Over the next decades, subsequent historic
building surveys reduced the number of significant buildings within the District. In
1986, an updated survey found that 35 of the original 41 buildings identified in the
1984 survey actually contributed to the unique character of Old Orland.
Historic Building Survey / Old Orland Historic District Guidelines (1991)
In 1991, the Village of Orland Park Historic Building Survey by Anne McGuire
and Linda F. Grubb and Associates, further reduced the list of locally significant
buildings to 27 out of the approximately 138 properties in the Historic District. As
part of the survey, the first comprehensive design guidelines, the Old Orland Historic
District Guidelines, were created and adopted to ensure that planning, alterations
to historic building, and new construction would help preserve the District and
guide appropriate changes. Additionally, photos and recommendations for future
upgrades to the building were included.
96
Orland Park Local Historic District Map
Village of Orland Park, Illinois Historic Buildings Survey (2005)

In 2005, McGuire, Igleski and Associates completed the List of Contributing Structures in
the Historic District to update 1991 survey and review historic district design guidelines. In
total, 43 properties were surveyed. Although the survey helped guide an extensive update
to the codes and policies regulating development in Old Orland, it also further reduced the
list of locally significant buildings from 27 to 16. The 16 buildings identified in the survey
continue to be the recognized as contributing structures to the District.
CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT

IDENTIFIED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE
Residential Area Intensive Survey (2008)

In 2008, the McGuire Igleski and Associates completed the Residential Area Intensive
Survey (RAI). The RAI Survey expand on the 2005 survey, which only examined 43
properties. The updated survey focused on a total of 185 properties in and surrounding
the Old Orland Historic District, evaluating the historic significance of each building and
eligibility for local and National Register landmark status. The survey found that many
buildings were capable of meeting the standards of the Historic District and provided
future recommendations.
The RAI survey determined the status of and categorized buildings as contributing or noncontributing based on age and style. However, the classification does not carry the weight
of zoning law. As a result, the contributing structures identified by the RAI survey are
not legally recognized as contributing structures by the LDC, with weaker provisions and
protections. While these structures have the potential to become recognized by Code as
contributing to the Historic District via restoration or rehabilitation, they are still vulnerable
to demolition.
While the past surveys provide an inventory of historic resources and have led to both the
creation and strengthening of the historic district over time, they do not adequately justify
or determine which buildings are listed as contributing structures and which building
should be demolished or preserved. The findings of the 2008 RAI survey serve only as a
tool to acknowledge many buildings are potentially contributing, leaving them threatened
by demolition.
97
Village of Orland Park

Intensive Survey of Residential Area
Final
July 03, 2008

p.7
DECOMMISSIONING OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW

COMMISSION & THE ROLE OF THE PLAN COMMISSION
Historic preservation commissions play a critical role in protecting local historic
districts. While the role and involvement of historic preservation commissions
varies according to a municipality and its local ordinances, these commissions
are vital in that they protect an areas character and integrity. The primary way
commissions achieve this is through the review of construction, alteration, or
demolition projects for properties located within a historic district. Preservation
commissions also set the goals and long term strategies for a districts future,
create financial aid or incentive programs to assist with restoration projects,
recommend the designation of local landmark properties, nominate landmarks
or districts to the National Register, distribute informational or walking tours
brochures, and increase public awareness of the value of historic, architectural
and cultural preservation.
In January 2015, Orland Parks Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC)
was effectively decommissioned. This decision resulted from a controversial
development project in the Old Orland Historic District. The powers, duties, and
procedures of the HPRC were consolidated with the Plan Commission, which
now stewards the Villages historic preservation policies, goals, and objectives.
The Plan Commission oversees and reviews projects in the Old Orland
Historic District, its contributing structures and landmark properties. The Plan
Commission is now responsible for implementing the Village of Orland Parks
historic preservation program by:
-- Educating the community about the value of its historic and cultural
heritage
-- Making recommendations as to which properties are eligible for
landmark and contributing structure status
-- Conducting a binding review and making recommendations to
the Village Board of Trustees on any construction, alteration, or
demolition of any structure within the Old Orland Historic District or
on any structure that is an Orland Park Landmark
-- Devising fair and consistent methods of evaluation for development
review
-- Examining methods for preservation financial aid that will assist the
community in upholding and improving the Old Orland Historic District
and Orland Park Landmarks
Over the past year, the consolidation of the HPRC with the Plan Commission
has streamlined the review process for projects within the Old Orland Historic
District. However, the loss of the HPRC may create unforeseen planning
implications. Since 1991, when officially enacted with the creation of its by-laws
to administer the Villages historic preservation ordinance, the HPRC had been
in charge of reviewing Certificate of Appropriateness applications, conducted
regular monthly meetings, maintained the register of historic contributing
structures and landmarks, pursued a number of historic building surveys,
created and revised zoning ordinances and amendments, and overall oversaw
and guided development to maintain district integrity and character.
Without an official government body solely focused on overseeing the Villages
historic preservation programs, Orland Parks ability to proactively identify,
evaluate, and protect historic properties as well as to create a strong longterm preservation strategy may be impaired. The dismantling of the HPRC may
also bring positive change, providing new opportunities for how Orland Park
handles future planning and the review process of projects within Old Orland.
Nonetheless, the impacts of transferring the responsibilities of the HPRC to the
Plan Commission remain to be seen.
HISTORIC DESIGNATION
The majority of historic properties identified worth preserving in the Village as
a whole are predominately located in Old Orland. There are 22 Landmark sites
scattered throughout the entire Village, which includes 16 structures in the
Old Orland Historic District. Based on the 2008 RAI Survey, buildings within
Old Orland are determined to be either contributing or non-contributing to the
District per the regulations defined in the LDC. Some of the notable contributing
structures in Old Orland include the Twin Tower Sanctuary, the oldest home in
Orland Park, Christ Lutheran Church, Loebe Brothers General Store, and Orland
State Bank.
98
Landmark status has been and will continue to be critical in

preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of these historically
and architecturally significant structures. Landmark designation in
the Village is identified as important to accomplishing the following
goals:
-- Promote Appropriate Infill Development. Reduce the
environmental impact of new construction through the
reuse and rehabilitation of existing historic buildings while
revitalizing existing built areas for long-term use;
-- Conserve Resources. Conserve the prior investment of
resources and energy of existing buildings or sites etc.;
Conserve open space, monuments, and the built and
natural environments;
-- Promote Tourism. Promote tourism through the
preservation and advertisement of historically and
architecturally significant sites, places, or buildings that
will attract commerce and culture to the Village;
-- Stabilize or Increase Property Values. Stabilize and
increase property values through continued sustainable
investment in existing built environments;
-- Develop an Identity.Develop an identity for Orland Park
as a historically and architecturally significant place.27
HISTORIC DISTRICT REVIEW PROCESS: CONTRIBUTING VS.
NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES
The Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review and approval
process is intended to protect against insensitive alterations to
historic properties and that new construction is compatible in
design with the surrounding District. A COA must be is obtained
before building permits are issues and any proposed work begins.
While this process has sped up the historic preservation planning
and review process, many potentially historic resources are left
unprotected from insensitive alterations and redevelopment
pressures. A description of the Villages historic preservation review
process is described to the right.
99
REVIEW PROCESS FOR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND LANDMARKS

REVIEW PROCESS FOR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND LANDMARKS
Major Change (All Buildings)

Major
Buildings)
Minor Change
Change (All
(Landmarks)
Minor
Change
(Landmarks)
Minor Change (Contributing Structures)
Minor
Change
(Contributing Structures)
Routine
Maintenance
Routine
Maintenance
Demolition
Demolition
PUBLIC
HEARING
PUBLIC
HEARING
PLAN
COMMISSION
PLAN
COMMISSION
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
BOARD
OF
TRUSTEES
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
X
XX
X
REVIEW PROCESS FOR NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND NEW CONSTRUCTION

REVIEW PROCESS FOR NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND NEW CONSTRUCTION
PUBLIC
HEARING
PUBLIC
HEARING
Major Change
Minor
Change (All
(All Buildings)
Buildings)
Minor Change
(All Buildings)
Routine
Maintenance
Routine
Maintenance
Demolition
Demolition
New
Construction
New Construction
PLAN
COMMISSION
PLAN
COMMISSION
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
BOARD
OF
TRUSTEES
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
X
X
X
X
X
X
Not Required
Not Required
X
X
Major Change: Substantial change to the exterior appearance of a structure, or any change to the impervious
coverage on the site, including but not limited to: new construction or additions, including new decks visible from
the right-of-way, porches, driveways etc.; demolition of any contributing structure or any part of a contributing
structure; relocation of buildings; significant alteration/ removal of historical or architectural features.
Minor Change: Changes that do not have a substantial impact on the exterior appearance of the structure or
site, including alteration, addition or removal of exterior architectural elements such as doors, windows, fences,
skylights, siding, exterior stairs, roofs, tuck-pointing etc.
Routine Maintenance: Includes repair or replacement of exterior elements where there is no change in the
design, materials, or appearance of the structure or property such as gutters and downspouts, drive-ways etc.
Landscape changes for gardens, planting beds, new trees, outdoor lighting for single family homes etc. will be
considered as routine maintenance.
New Construction: The construction of a freestanding structure on any developable lot, including new
construction that involves additions to existing buildings.
Old Orland Historic District Contributing Structures / Landmarks

1. 9960 W. 143rd Street
2. 9999 W. 143rd Street
1. 9960 W.Orland
143rd Park
StreetSchool
2. 9999 W. 143rd
FormerStreet
Christ Lutheran Church
Orland Park School
Former Christ Lutheran Church
List of Contributing Historic Structures &

Landmark Properties in Orland Park
V I L L A G E
O F
O R L A N D
P A R K
Old Orland Historic District Contributing Structures / Landmarks

1. 9960 W. 143rd Street
Orland Park School
O F
O R L A N D
P A R K
Former Christ Lutheran Church
V I L L A G E
O F
O R L A N D
4. 9925 W. 143rd Street
3. 9953 W. 143rd Street
5. 14306-10 Union Avenue

Orland Park Hotel
4. 9917 W. 143rd Street First

Orland Park Library
3. 9953 W. 143rd Street
5. 14306Orland
9917 W. 143rd Street First

2. 9999 W. 143rd Street
LIST OF CONTRIBUTING
STRUCTURES
IN THE OLD ORLAND
HISTORIC4. DISTRICT
Orland Park Library
4. 9925 W. 143rd Street
3. 9953 W. 143rd Street
V I L L A G E
P A R K
Orland
Park
SchoolP A R KAvenue
Christ Lutheran Church
Former Residence
V I L L A G E O
F 14320-24
O R L A N DBeacon
10.
11. 14330 Beacon Avenue
4. 9925 W. 143rd Street
6. 14314 Union Avenue

9960
143rd
Street
Commercial
Emporium
Loebe Brothers
General
Store
10. 14320-24 Beacon Avenue
Commercial Emporium
7. 9952 W. 144th Street

9999 143rd
Street
Loebe House
57
Orland Park Hotel
Loebe Brothers General Store
W. 144th Street
14306-10 Union Avenue 8. 9967
14314 Union Avenue
Twin
SanctuaryAvenue
12. Towers
14315
12. 14315
BeaconBeacon
Avenue
Former Residence
9953 143rd Street
Loebe House

9952State
144th
Street
Orland
Bank Avenue
13.
14339
Beacon
13. 14339 Beacon
Avenue
V I L L A G E
9925 143rd Street
O F
Orland Park Library

O R L A N D
P A R K
10. 14320-24 Beacon

Avenue
9917
143rd
Commercial Emporium
Street
11. 14330 Beacon Av
Commercial Emporium
13. 14339 Beacon Av
6. 14314 Union Avenue

Loebe Brothers General Store
57
Twin Towers Sanctuary

9967 144th Street
Orland State Bank
14316 Beacon Avenue
14320-24 Beacon Avenue
7. 9952 W
Loebe H
57
8. 9967 W. 144th Street

Twin Towers Sanctuary
Residence
Residence
14. 14420 Second Avenue

14330 Beacon Avenue
14315 Beacon Avenue15.
Cox
14.House
14420 Second Avenue
Cox House
Residence
9830 W. 144th
PlaceBeacon Avenue
14339
Humphrey
15.House
9830 W. 144th Place
Cox House
14420 Second Avenue
9. 14316
Orland
14. 14420 Second Avenue

Cox House
Humphrey House
9830 W. 144th Place
Humphrey House
58
100
59
15. 9830 W. 144th Pla

Humphrey House
Village of Orland Park

Intensive Survey of Residential Area
UNPROTECTED HISTORIC RESOURCES:

CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES
CONTRIBUTING
VS.
NON-
These non-contributing structures have the potential to become recognized as

contributing to the Historic District via restoration or rehabilitation. Yet, as discussed
later, some of the buildings listed as contributing in the 2008 RAI have already been
demolished due to a lack of protection under the LDC. The other buildings listed remain
threatened by redevelopment.
Over the past decades there has been little change to the number of contributing
structures and landmark properties in Old Orland. This may indicate the regulations
outlined in the LDC are working efficiently and property owners are maintaining their
historic integrities. But it also points to an inability to list additional buildings that qualify
as historic and are worth protecting as potentially contributing structures.
Historic Buildings Outside of the Old Orland District
July 03, 2008

p.30
While the 2008 RAI Survey notes that the findings do not support extending the
boundaries of the existing Old Orland Historic District, it notes that 20 buildings and
one historic landscape outside of the District meet local landmark criteria and can be
considered for designation based on their historic significance and integrity.30 Since
the 2008 RAI Survey was completed, some of these buildings have been lost. However,
the remaining buildings hold the potential to be designated as historic properties.
101
Map of Survey Area: Landmark Eligible Properties
As noted, the 16 buildings classified as contributing structures and landmarks, identified

in LDC Section 6-209 and Section 5-110, are truly the only buildings protected in the
District per the existing code. According to the 2008 RAI Survey, in addition to the
16 contributing buildings listed in the LDC, 30 additional buildings were identified as
contributing to the District.28 Yet, despite the surveys classification, if a building is not
a contributing structure per the LDC, buildings with historic significance or value are
increasingly threatened by demolition. Effectively, buildings recognized as contributing
by the 2008 RAI survey are not legally recognized as contributing structures by the
LDC. This means that the demolition or changes to these structures requires only an
administrate review. They are subject to less protections and do no require a public
hearing or review by the Plan Commission, Development Services and Planning
Committee, and Board of Trustees meetings.
CONTRIBUTING & POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES

IN THE OLD ORLAND HISTORIC DISTRICT
POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES IN OLD ORLAND
POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES

OUTSIDE OF OLD ORLAND
102
REDEVELOPMENT PRESSURE & DEMOLITIONS

The combination of existing LDC regulations, the dismantling of the HPRC, and
market pressures for redevelopment place Old Orland in a precarious position.
With the increase in demolition of historic structures over the last decade,
Old Orlands remaining history and integrity is threatened. Since 2012, seven
historic buildings were lost in the District. Just in the past year alone, in 2015,
two potentially contributing historic buildings were demolished and three new
houses were constructed. The number of demolitions and new construction
projects may not seem like huge quantities. Yet, Old Orlands historic character
and unique charm is quickly disappearing. The rapidly depleting number of
historic or potentially historic structures still standing in Old Orlands small

geographic area highlights the need to reconsider existing policies and how
redevelopment is changing the nature of the District. Little by little history has
been lost in Old Orland. When combined over time, the loss of these structures
is significant. Once that history is lost, it cannot be replaced.
Old Orland cannot and should not be frozen in time and still needs to adapt and
grow. However, its importance to Orland Parks growth is worth preserving to
commemorate the era before unprecedented post-war suburban development
began.
DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS IN OLD ORLAND LISTED AS POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT
9855 144TH STREET
9955 144TH PLACE
103
9967 143RD STREET
9833 144TH PLACE
9825 144TH STREET
9865 144TH STREET
14420 FIRST AVENUE
Existing Regulations, Codes & Demolition Policy

As noted in the previous section, existing codes and ordinances do not have
enough muscle to protect against demolitions in Old Orland. The Villages LDC
dictates the demolition standards for buildings within Old Orland. The demolition
or relocation of any landmark or contributing structure within the Old Orland
Historic District requires a demolition permit, a Certificate of Appropriateness
(COA) for Demolition, as well as a public hearing and review at the Plan
Commission, Development Services and Planning Committee, and Board of
Trustees meetings.
Proposals for the demolition of contributing structures must respond to the
following demolitions standards:
-- That the building or structure is not structurally sound
-- That the property in question cannot yield a reasonable return if the

building or structure were retained
-- That the cost of repair of the building or structure exceeds the value
of the land and the building, thus creating an economic hardship for
the owner
-- That a historic landmark survey has been conducted and documents
the historical and architectural significant of the building or site.
A demolition permit for a contributing structure or landmark can be applied for

directly from the Village if the following conditions apply:
-- The building is an immediate danger to the health, safety or welfare of
the occupants or that of the general public; and/ or
-- The building is structurally unstable and cannot be safely occupied.
Demolitions of contributing structures also require a 90-day demolition delay

pending the public hearing at the Plan Commission and a Village Board review.
If a COA for Demolition is denied, a demolition permit will not be issued until
the 90-day demolition delay has expired, until the building is surveyed and
documented for its historical or architectural significance by a qualified historic
preservation consultant, and building information archived by the Village.
Additionally, the 90-day delay period provides an opportunity for a reasonable

alternative to demolition. If an alternative is determined by the Development
Services Department, it will be presented to the Board of Trustees for review
and consideration, which then can grant or modify the alternative proposal
with conditions and deny the demolition, or deny the alternative proposal and
grant the Certificate of Appropriateness for Demolition. It does not appear that
these regulations have been utilized in the past decades. However, if one of
the 16 contributing structures in Old Orland was threated by demolition or
redevelopment, there are strong measures in place for protection.
Even with regulations, the Village has little authority to prevent any private property
owners or developers from tearing down potentially historic buildings or any
building not listed as one of the 16 contributing structures. For non-contributing
structures, a COA review is not required and demolition permit can be applied
for directly at the Villages Development Services Department. Since many
demolished buildings are not considered contributing structures per the Land
Development Code, even though the majority of the properties were classified as
contributing via the 2008 RAI survey. These buildings not listed as contributing
structures or landmarks, but hold historic importance within the Historic District,
face less scrutiny and protection during the demolition review process.
Demolition Moratorium
Interestingly, in the past, the Village has attempted to examine the threat of
demolitions within Old Orland.31 In October 2003, the Village considered a
proposal to establish a demolition and infill development moratorium in the
Old Orland Historic District for a period of 6 months to a year. The proposed
moratorium resulted from a growing concern about recent teardowns and land
assemblage activity in the area. The moratorium period was to allow time for a
study on the Villages land use policies as they relate to the Old Orland Historic
District, the completion of an updated building survey to evaluate and prioritize
historic resources, the preparation of a Master Plan, and to assess the resources
available for preservation and maintenance of buildings.
As noted in a Village staff report, based on information gathered from Teardown
Symposium at the Northwest Municipal Conference in Arlington Heights, Illinois
104
in 2003, there was market demand for larger homes with at least three bedrooms.
Many of the existing homes in Old Orland cannot meet those expectations
and thus is contributing to the demolition of structures. This trend still holds
true after the 2008 economic recession. During the economic downturn, while
new construction was practically halted throughout Orland Park, construction
boomed in Old Orland. This speaks to the stability and value of the District.
The moratorium was deemed unnecessary as layers of protection associated
with historic district designation and the LDC regulations were already in place.
Although a moratorium was never enacted by the Village Board, it encouraged
future planning discussions. Within the following years, the Village hired a
consultant to conduct a survey of properties in Old Orland. Staff and the HPRC
also worked to revise existing regulations and prepared a new ordinance to
further protect the historic resources in the District. Regardless of whether the
moratorium would have altered the course of planning in Old Orland, it showcases
an interest by businesses, residents and some Village officials to protect the
Districts historic resources. Protecting buildings against demolitions remains an
issue in Old Orland today.
Perceptions of Old Orland
The perceived significance of historic buildings also plays a role in demolition.
A large portion of the residential historic buildings in Old Orland are small,
simple farm houses of long forgotten and unknown farmers and residents. Their
past status or wealth, which undoubtedly is represented through the simple
architectural styles, makes it difficult for developers to justify spending resources
to preserve a form that they can more efficiently build. The Twin Towers and
John Humphrey House, two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, have been noted as some of the only buildings in the District worth
preserving.32 Yet other buildings in Old Orland, particularly those which have
not been properly maintained, are often overlooked and not deemed worth
preserving, leaving some saying, I just assumed whatever teardowns went on
would be improvementsThese houses, theres nothing cute or historic about
them. Theyre just old and frankly, quite shabby.33 Others have noted, few
structures would jump out as historic to a layman and Some of the buildings
are marginally historicLets look at what buildings are really worth saving. 34
105
EXAMPLES OF NEW CONSTRUCTION IN OLD ORLAND
Aging Buildings, Property Maintenance, & Demolition by Neglect

The perceptions of Old Orland are tied to the appearance of the neighborhood,
which is negatively impacted from the poor or deferred maintenance of some
older buildings over time. There could be many causes for poor maintenance
over time, including neglect, limited financial means, or a lack of expertise
and education. Nonetheless, over the past decades, many of buildings have
been lost due to a lack of maintenance and investment over time. The lack
of maintenance or neglect is further reducing the quality of what is left to be
preserved in the future.
While immaculate, new single family homes have been constructed in the styles
and materials consistent with the historic character of the area, construction
has largely stemmed from an increase in demolitions due to long term
disinvestment and redevelopment pressures stemming from the surrounding
areas. Some buildings were left in a state of disrepair, leading developers to find
it more financially advantageous to tear down a historic building and replace
it with a new, larger house or building.35 The economic investment required to
rehabilitate and restore to modern standards preclude revitalization, particularly
as the Old Orland neighborhood is deemed an attractive place to live. It seems
these buildings were lost via demolition by neglect, when a property owner
ONE OF THE HOUSES DEMOLISHED IN THE KELLY GROVE
intentionally allows a historic property to suffer deterioration, potentially beyond

the point of repair. Long-term neglect by property owners or developers has
been used in many historic districts across the country as a way to circumvent
historic preservation regulations. Property owners use demolition by neglect as
means to argue the necessity of demolition due to the prohibitive cost of repairs.
Deferred maintenance creates an economic hardship.
Examples of redevelopment from disinvestment and neglect are scattered
throughout the District. For example, the Kelly Grove Subdivision entailed
demolishing both a 128 year old and 115 year old home single family home, resubdividing the two existing lots into four lots, and constructing four new single
family homes.36 The two buildings torn down as part of this project included
a bungalow built circa 1900 and a national style building featuring the Uprightand-Wing form and constructed circa 1885. According to staff reports, the
properties had fallen into disrepair, which warranted redevelopment.
The Kelly Grove homes, one of which is currently under construction, are excellent
examples of attractive, beautifully designed new construction. The design
and architectural style of the new homes met the Old Orland Historic District
regulations for new construction per the LDC. However, the two buildings lost,
both of which were over a century old, were identified as contributing structures
KELLY GROVE SUBDIVISION TODAY
106
to the Historic District per the 2008 RAI survey. They were also noted as in good
condition with medium integrity. Even though both structures were covered in
synthetic siding and had been somewhat altered over time, they were eligible
to be contributing structures to the Histrict District. But because the LDC does
not recognize either as an official contributing structures or landmarks under
Section 6-209 or Section 5-110, they were considered non-contributing and
were not protected from demolition.
As previously discussed, the 16 contributing structures to Old Orland are
the only buildings protected by demolition per code in the District. However,
even a handful of these structures are now featuring some neglect and poor
maintenance. The Humphrey House, which today serves as a museum, is
showing signs of aging and deferred care.
NEW CONSTRUCTION, MARKET DEMANDS, AND HOMEOWNER
PREFERENCES
New construction also stems from market demands and homeowner preferences.
Home buyers are attracted to the Historic District for its unique character, charm,
walkability, and close proximity to shopping, transportation, and other amenities.
However, the very historic character and charm that attracted homeowners
to the area is being replaced by new homeowners redeveloping simple farm
houses into modern, large houses built to mimic Old Orlands historic building
styles. Many of the newly constructed homes that replaced small farm houses
or simple frame buildings dwarf neighboring houses. In some cases, buildings
have been torn down and the lots have been re-subdivided to accommodate
larger houses.
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT &
SURROUNDING AREAS
Old Orlands close proximity to the 143rd Street Metra Station, the Main Street
Downtown District, Village Center area, and nearby major thoroughfares make
it an attractive location for redevelopment. New construction projects have
been recently completed and are underway just outside of the Historic District,
particularly in the neighboring Main Street Downtown and Orland Crossing
107
Districts. Local real estate market pressures are pushing redevelopment, which
is contributing to the increase in the number of valuable buildings lost in the
District.
Development in the adjacent Main Street Downtown District has triggered
growing concerns over the past decade.37 When the Main Street project was
in the planning stage in the early 2000s, development in the area was cited
as bringing rampant land speculation, which had many residents looking to
put the brakes on changes to the historic district. 38 Many noted the need to
curb construction and the demolition of buildings in the District. One resident
noted, We needto stop people from buying up three or four lots and building
their three story monsters, while the Old Orland Heritage Foundation President
commented, If we dont stop it, that whole district will probably be disappearing
one at a time, two at a time.39
During the planning for the Main Street Downtown, a series of workshops and
meetings were held to get input from Old Orland businesses and residents on
the future development. At that time, maintaining the Districts turn of the century
character while new homes and businesses were built was considered important
as well as retaining and expanding small specialty shops rather than large chain
stores. New buildings were recommended to blend with the Historic District so
the area did not appear to be a hodgepodge of old and new. Additionally, it was
noted that planning for Old Orland should happen alongside and be a part of
the larger Main Street Downtown District plan: we have to make sure what
they do now makes sense. It needs to be one plan, one package (that) takes into
account the future of the area and addresses issues of traffic40
The new downtown project has been touted as a way to rejuvenate Old Orland,
bringing needed reinvestment into the Historic District.41 Village officials noted
that the Main Street Downtown District and Old Orland were supposed to be
thought of as two interconnected areas and as extensions of each other.42
However, many of the promises for revitalization have yet to been seen and
investment has been uneven throughout the district. Rather than reinvesting in
and pursuing plans for Old Orland, the Village has targeted efforts creating the
new downtown.
The long-term impacts of the Main Street Downtown District

on Old Orland remain unclear. Large-scale redevelopment
has yet to occur in Old Orland and the character of the historic
center has not yet been lost. Nonetheless, Old Orland has,
and still is, experiencing development pressures as existing
houses that represent the historic character of the area are
demolished and replaced with new, larger, homes. Smaller
buildings have been targeted for redevelopment and new
outsized modern homes on small or re-subdivided lots are
being constructed.
The charm of Old Orland may be jeopardized unless new
programs and planning efforts are initiated: Preservationists
say the need for strong, binding rules is needed more now
than ever as residential and commercial construction ramps
up on the Metra Triangle.43 Existing regulations need to
be considered and sensible new policies should be put into
place to ensure the Old Orlands buildings are protected
and the historic thrives alongside development in the Main
Street Downtown District.
SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES OF PRESERVATION IN OLD
ORLAND
Although there is tendency is to pursue development through
demolishing old buildings and replacing them with new
construction, there are notable examples across the country
in both urban and suburban areas where development has
leaned toward preservation and adaptive reuse. In the case
of Old Orland, it is easy to look back to previous decades
when some of the Villages most important buildings were
once threatened. Today, a number of important structures
have been preserved and are now designated as historic
buildings thanks to the efforts of the Village, residents, and
community organizations.
The Twin Towers Sanctuary building represents of the best

examples of preservation and restoration in Old Orland. The
unusual building was designed by architect William Arthur
Bennett, who gained experience at prestigious Chicago
firms such as Burnham & Root and Adler & Sullivan and later
became known for its Prairie style buildings.44 Constructed
in 1898, the building features a Queen Anne style, with
fishscale and diamond cut shingles as well as gothic
and stained glass arched windows. The two distinct and
mismatched hexagonal towers at the front of the building
gave the church its Twin Towers name. The building
served as the United Methodist Church up until 1961 when
a new Methodist church was constructed next door. It
also served the community as a meeting hall and was the
Villages first movie theater.
TWIN TOWERS SANCTUARY
The Methodist Church continued to use the building for

Sunday school up until 1987, when it requested permission
from the Village to demolish the Twin Towers Sanctuary to
replace it with parking lot and expansion for the church
constructed in 1962. Due to the buildings historic and
architectural significance, the Mayor, Village Board, and
Village officials strongly opposed tearing down the church
and denied the demolition permit. With the help of Village
staff, a group of church members, local residents, and
volunteers formed the Old Orland Heritage Foundation. The
Foundation became responsible for restoring the building.45
Restoration work began in the Summer of 1987. In 1989, the
Twin Tower was listed on the National Register of Historical
Places due to its history, architecture, and important
contributions to the religious life of the community. After
$200,000 of renovations and 14,000 volunteer hours, over
10 years later the building was finally restored.
Without the efforts of the Village, the Old Orland Heritage
Foundation, and volunteers, the Twin Towers could have
ABOVE: Twin Towers Sanctuary before

and after restoration (Village of Orland
Park).
108
been demolished. But today the building is one of the Village's most prominent
landmarks and it is hard to image Old Orland without its presence. The restored
historic church is now used primarily for events and can be rented for parties,
receptions and gatherings. The building stands as one of the most impressive
architectural features of the District, representing spiritual and social history of
community. Its story is critical for understanding preservation challenges and
how the partnerships between the Village, local organizations, and residents
was necessary for preventing demolition. Taking action too late or pushing
matters to the backburner could have led Twin Towers to ultimately suffer the
fate of other historic buildings in Orland Park. Yet, today the building has been
preserved for future generations.
The demolition of additional structures would cause the loss of many buildings
that symbolize the Villages early history and farming past. The absence of a
stronger demolition policy, the lack of protection provided by the existing LDC,
and outdated regulations highlight the fact that contributing structures to the
District are not properly protected from demolition. The Village will need to
determined how to reinvigorate Old Orland and its businesses alongside the
massive growth occurring within the Main Street Downtown District. Addressing
challenges related to demolition by neglect and redevelopment pressures will
create new opportunities to transform the district into a vibrant commercial and
residential neighborhood that preserves the past and adds future value to the
area.
Other important examples of preservation include the restoration and renovation

of the Cox House on First Avenue, the first house to be constructed in Old
Orland.46 Built in 1880, the house was constructed in a National style with a
Side Gable and distinctive bay windows on the first floor. The building was
rehabilitated in 2007. Other examples include Irish Patriot Restaurant on 143rd
Street, the Humphrey House Museum on 144th Place, and a portion of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church building on West Avenue that was converted into a
real estate office. Each of these examples highlight past successful examples of
preservation in Old Orland and that it is possible to protect and adaptively reuse
buildings facing demolition in the future through collaborative efforts between
the Village, neighborhood organizations, and residents.
The importance of Old Orlands existing historic buildings and the benets of
preservation potentially spurred by preserving old buildings are not meant to
insinuate that new construction is expendable. Old Orland is a dynamic place
that cannot be treated as an exhibit in a museum. A diverse mixture of old
and new construction reects the economic past throughout generations and
also encourages growth. Building diversity in age and structure helps create
lively areas by supplying different aordability levels and economically valuable
places for specic businesses and residents.
THE FUTURE OF OLD ORLAND & INCREASING DEMOLITIONS

It is anticipated that a number of additional structures in the Historic District are
in danger of a similar fate as those buildings recently demolished. The question
remains: what is worth preserving?
109
While neighborhood evolution is natural over time, change can be guided

thoughtfully for the long-term. New construction and infill development alongside
effective preservation policies can offer opportunities to add value to residential
and commercial buildings while at the same time preserving community identity.
The proposed recommendations will consider how the Villages existing design
guidelines have impacted new development and what regulations can be
improved to enable both preservation and new construction.

10) PRESERVATION PROGRAMS & INCENTIVES

APPEARANCE IMPROVEMENT GRANT (AIG)
The Village offers an Appearance Improvement Grant (AIG) that provides property
owners and businesses financial assistance for improving the exterior appearance
of commercial and historic properties.47 Eligible faade improvements include
awnings, doors, windows, signage, screening rooftop mechanical equipment,
storefront features, removal of inappropriate materials, and the restoration of
historic architectural features. Only improvements visible from the public rightof-way are considered. The grant will match 50% of the cost of work, up to a
maximum of $20,000 per project, with a minimum investment of $1,000.
The existing program was originally established in 1998 as the Facade
Improvement Program to help property owners and businesses restore and
improve the appearance of historic non-residential buildings in Old Orland
along 143rd Street.48 Building on efforts to promote private investment as
well as preserve and maintain historic building facades, in 2006, the program
was expanded to include all contributing structures in Old Orland.49 Landmark
properties located outside of the Historic District were also deemed eligible.
In 2009, the program was renamed and revised again to include additional
buildings along 143rd Street between West Avenue and La Grange Road to
include historic and non-historic commercial buildings. However, the program
remained unfunded between 2010-2012.50 Beginning in 2013, the AIG was
renewed and funding became available to improve the facades of all commercial
properties within the Village rather than just along 143rd Street. Today, the AIG
program ranks commercial faade improvements throughout the Village as the
first priority, with Historic Preservation listed second where funding is specifically
reserved for officially recognized landmarks. Between 2006- 2010, the Village
allocated about $58,500 to the grant program.51
In the early days of the grant program, funding was used to assist with historic
preservation projects such as the Cox House, the Twin Towers, the Loebe House,
and the Humphrey House in Old Orland. Today, the AIG is largely distributed to
larger commercial projects outside of Old Orland and funding has rarely been
used to update commercial facades or rehabilitate historic structures within the
District. This may be because the grant has not been widely marketed or because
businesses and property owners are not aware of the program. Additionally, the
grant program only provides financial assistance to the 16 contributing structures
in the Historic District. Finally, AIG funding is rarely granted for changes to the
site, landscaping, or streetscape improvements. In addition to faade and
storefront renovations, some of Old Orlands businesses along 143rd Street,
Beacon Avenue, and Union Avenue could benefit from improvements to the
public realm that are not supported under the AIG program.
With the infrequent use of AIG funding in Old Orland in recent years, the Historic
District has benefitted little from the program. In the future, the AIG could become an
important financial tool in helping with the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation
or maintenance of historic properties in Old Orland. The program has the potential
to be revamped to support the revitalization of the business areas as well as
address long-standing concerns about property maintenance and buildings falling
into disrepair. With financial support, property owners and businesses could reinvest in Old Orland, changing the appearance and perception of the District. New
storefronts, faade enhancements, landscaping, streetscaping, and restoration
work would also help encourage additional reinvestment in the District.
HISTORIC MARKER PROGRAM
In 2007, the Historic Marker Program was established to locate interpretive
signs explaining the history of local landmarks in Old Orland and throughout
the Village. While the program is a long-term project and new markers have not
been installed in recent years, the historic markers are important in educating
visitors and residents about the significance of landmark buildings in the Village.
HISTORIC AWARDS PROGRAM
The Awards Program was created to recognize property owners or businesses
that contributed to the preservation and enhancement of the Old Orland Historic
District. The program is currently inactive and awards have not been granted in
a number of years.
110
11) PARTNERSHIPS & EDUCATION

EDUCATION & OUTREACH
The programs and resources described below have been important in
helping residents, businesses, property owners, and developers gain a
better understanding about the importance of preservation as well as the
applicable policies and guidelines set out for the Old Orland District. However,
additional efforts could be made to present more concise and understandable
guidelines, promote awareness of Old Orlands history, and educate the
community on preservation related issues. On-going communication is
needed to address negative attitudes about historic preservation and build
collaborative relationships to implement improvements in the District.
Historic Preservation Handbook
The Historic Preservation Resident Handbook was prepared by the Development
Services Department to assist property owners, residents, businesses,
architects, and developers in planning the appropriate repair, rehabilitation,
and new construction of historic properties within the Old Orland District. The
training manual provides an overview of the Plan Commission, ordinances
and Land Development Code sections applicable to the historic district,
an overview of the COA review process, a history of Old Orland, assistance
programs, and preservation guide resources. As briefly described below, the
Resident Handbook provides training credit to petitioners as part of the COA
process. The handbook was intended to inform and aware petitioners of Old
Orland policies and programs to guide sensible and compatible changes in
the future. A similar but more extensive handbook, the Historic Preservation
Plan Commission Handbook, was created to help guide Plan Commissioners in
reviewing projects.
Certificate of Appropriateness Training Process
The Certificate of Appropriateness Training (COA) process was established
in 2014 to educate property owners, architects, contractors, and the public
on historic preservation programs and regulations to avoid issues related to
inappropriate or historically insensitive changes for projects in the Historic
111
District. A credit house of training can be earned by reading the Historic

Preservation Resident Handbook, discussed above. Petitioners are also
required to sign a COA Training affidavit included on the COA petition form
acknowledging that understand historic district requirements prior to a project
beginning, will faithfully execute the proposed project according to applicable
codes and policies of Orland Parks historic preservation program, and will abide
by the decisions of the Village Board of Trustees. The COA training credit hour
places a petitioner in good-standing for one calendar year, in which time any
number of projects or improvements in Old Orland or on landmark properties
may be undertaken by the petitioner.
PARTNERS & STAKEHOLDERS
There are a handful of local preservation groups that played important roles
in preserving and implementing improvements in Old Orland over the past
decades. In addition to the Village of Orland Park, other local groups include:
-- Orland Historical Society, responsible for restoring and managing the
Humphrey House Museum, which is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places
-- Old Orland Heritage Foundation, responsible for restoring and
managing the Twin Towers Sanctuary
-- Old Orland Progressive Committee, a business association in Old
Orland that formed to assist business owners and support planning
efforts
Unfortunately, some of these groups no longer exist and others are inactive.
In the past, these groups were involved with the Villages Historic Preservation
Review Commission, working on a number of projects that sought to create new
programs and advance planning efforts in Old Orland. With the decommissioning
of the Historic Preservation Review Commission in the beginning of 2016,
remaining local preservation groups, neighborhood organizations, residents,
and business owners interested in improving Old Orland are limited in how they
can proactively assist or collaborate with the Village and planning efforts. The
combination of a lack of interested stakeholders involved in planning for Old
Orland as well as the loss of an official government body focused on overseeing
the Villages historic preservation programs may impair a long-term preservation
strategy.
Community partnerships, public engagement, and multi-stakeholder involvement
will be necessary to preserving and instilling a renewed interest in Old Orland.
Within Old Orland itself, past collaborations between various groups, the
Village, and residents have made profound impacts on the preservation of and
development within the District. The Twin Towers Sanctuary is fitting example of
how partnerships are critical for preserving meaningful buildings and improving
the Historic District. In 1987, when the Twin Tower Sanctuary faced demolition,
the Village worked with the newly formed Old Orland Heritage Foundation,
church members, local residents, and volunteers to prevent the churchs demise
and to painstakingly restore the building. According to one Village planner at
that time, It was a great core group of people who took it over and really got
at the project right awayIf they hadn't been there, I question whether the
building would even be here today or if it would have had to have been torn
down anyway due to lack of maintenance or vandalism. It was the bureaucrats
like me who kept the church from being torn down, but the major credit really is
due to people [from the Old Orland Heritage Foundation] and all the volunteers
who worked with them."52
This statement holds tremendous meaning today.

Given the context of nearby redevelopment in and around Old Orland, the question
arises as to if there is sufficient community support to prevent demolitions and
at the same time contribute or spearhead new improvements to the District.
Increased Village planning efforts and strengthened regulations alone will not be
enough to effectively preserve and foster meaningful growth in Old Orland. From
looking back at this past example, it becomes clear that building community
support for the preservation of the Districts buildings, fostering collaborative
partnerships, educating the public on preservation programs and planning
efforts, and increasing awareness of the Villages history will be critical for Old
Orlands future.
Today, it is hard to imagine Old Orland without the Twin Towers. Through
combined efforts, the Old Orland Heritage Foundation and volunteers worked
for over 10 years to restore the Twin Towers Sanctuary into one of the most
impressive and important buildings within the District. Yet, public involvement
and negative perceptions of the Old Orland remain prominent issues today. Over
a decade ago, during the restoration of the Twin Towers, a Chicago Tribune
article aptly stated, Preservationists say they realize the district has to adapt
and improve or risk dying not by over-development, but by a lack of interest.53
112
SUMMARY OF ASSETS & CHALLENGES IN OLD ORLAND

ASSETS
-- Central location
-- Compact size
-- Walkable street grid
-- Historic character
-- Neighborhood shops, services, restaurants, and
businesses in the district and in nearby neighborhoods
-- Antique Row
-- Historic character
-- Mix of uses uses
local
-- Parks & open spaces within walking distance

-- Pocket Park on First Avenue and 144th Place
-- Cook County Forest Preserve & McGinnis Slough
-- Humphrey Woods
-- Frontier Park
-- 143rd Street Metra Station
-- Adjacent to new development in the Main Street Downtown
District
-- Institutions, including a school and various churches
CHALLENGES
-- Redevelopment pressures
-- Lack of connection to nearby neighborhoods

-- Railroad creates a barrier through the District, limiting
connectivity
-- High thoroughfare traffic along 143rd Street
-- 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and Southwest Highway
intersection
-- Unsafe, challenging pedestrian crossings on 143rd Street
-- Lack of a connection between Beacon Avenue and Union
Avenue
-- Streetscape appearance and outdate commercial buildings in
the business areas
113
-- Lack of public realm and gathering spaces
-- Aging buildings and property maintenance

-- Demolition of residential, potentially historic buildings
-- Perceived lack of parking
-- Pedestrian connectivity
-- Outdated or poor streetscape appearance on some streets
-- Business mix and vitality
-- Changes to residential character
-- Vacant and infill sites
-- Signage
114
ENDNOTES
Illinois Department of Transportation, US Route
45 (LaGrange Road) Reconstruction and Widening,
Illinois Department of Transportation. 2015. Accessed
May 1, 2016, http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/
us45-reconstruction-and-widening; Village of Orland
Park, LaGrange Road Widening Project FAQ, Village
of Orland Park. https://www.orland-park.il.us/index.
aspx?NID=1566.
2
Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and
Statistics (RTAMS), 143rd Street (Orland Park)
Station Weekday Ridership, Regional Transportation
Authority, Accessed May 20, 2016, http://www.
rtams.org/rtams/metraHistoricalRidership.
jsp?level=station&ridershipID=8236
3
Diana Strzalka, Orland Park is Trying to Move Concrete
Firm, Chicago Tribune, April 30, 1998; Margie Ritchie,
Triangle Advances for Orland Downtown,Chicago
Tribune, June 22, 2005; Patricia Trebe, Pursuing an
Ambitious Vision; Orland Park Mayor says a Downtown
Tops List of Priorities, Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2002.
4
Village of Orland Park, Development Services
Department, Requests for Proposals: Project Summary
for the Main Street Triangle, Orland Park: Village of
Orland Park, February 2009: 4.
5
The Center for Neighborhood Technology, TransitOriented Development in the Chicago Region: Efficient
and Resilient Communities for the 21st Century,
Chicago: The Center for Neighborhood Technology, April
2013; Teska Associates, Inc. and Fish Transportation
Group, How to Make Your Community Transit Ready:
Setting the Stage for Transit. Prepared for the Regional
Transportation Authority, Chicago: April 2012, 19.
6
B. Kink, Forums explore Old Orlands character, The
Regional News, 3.
7
Sharon Stangenes, Luxury rentals in the heart of
Orland Park, Chicago Tribune, February 16, 2014;
1
115
Flaherty & Collins Properties, Ninety7Fifty on the Park.

Flaherty & Collins Properties, 2016.
8
Village of Orland Park, Luxury Living, Orland Park
Public 34, no. 1 (Spring / Summer 2016): 14-15.
9
Ibid.
10
Lauren Zumbach, Orland Park officials pleased with
apartments' progress report, Chicago Tribune, March
3, 2015.
11
Mike Nolan, Clinic underway in Orland Park, garage
next up, Daily Southtown, September 30, 2015; Dermot
Connolly, Orland picks parking deck contractor, The
Regional News, October 22, 2015; Lauren Zumbach, "U
of C, Orland Park Advance Plans for Medical Center,
Chicago Tribune,Jul 03, 2014.
12
Mike Nolan, Clinic underway in Orland Park, garage
next up, Daily Southtown, September 30, 2015; Dermot
Connolly, Orland picks parking deck contractor, The
Regional News, October 22, 2015; Kimley Horn, Village
of Orland Park Main Street Triangle Parking Structure:
Performance and Design Criteria, Kimley Horn, August
26, 2015; Village of Orland Park, Downtown Main
Street Parking Structure, Village of Orland Park.
13
Nolan, "Orland Park 'Triangle' Takes Shape."
14
Dennis Sullivan, U of C medical clinic gets early OK
in Orland Park, Daily Southtown, June 10, 2015.
15
Nolan, "Orland Park 'Triangle' Takes Shape."
16
Taylor Johnson, First Move-Ins Begin at Orland
Park's Newest Transit-Oriented Luxury Rental
Development, Chicago Tribune, May 17, 2016.; Village
of Orland Park, Development Services Department,
Requests for Proposals: Project Summary for the Main
Street Triangle, 11.
17
Dermot Connolly, Villages new downtown grows
with Residences of Orland Park Crossing, The Regional
News, March 3, 2016; Johnson, First Move-Ins Begin
at Orland Park's Newest Transit-Oriented Luxury Rental
Development; Taylor Johnson, REVA Development
Partners Begins Pre-leasing in Response to High

Demand for Luxury Rentals at Residences of Orland
Park Crossing, Chicago Tribune, March 1, 2016.
18
Village of Orland Park, Luxury Living, Orland Park
Public, 14-15; Village of Orland Park, Development
Services Department, Requests for Proposals: Project
Summary for the Main Street Triangle.
19
Village of Orland Park Streetscape Study, prepared by
Land Design Collaborative, June 1, 1992.
20
Kimley Horn, Village of Orland Park Main Street
Triangle Parking Structure: Performance and Design
Criteria, Kimley Horn, August 26, 2015, https://www.
orland-park.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/25908; Dermot
Connolly, Orland picks parking deck contractor,
The Regional News, October 22, 2015, Mike Nolan,
Clinic underway in Orland Park, garage next up, Daily
Southtown, September 30, 2015; Village of Orland
Park. Downtown Main Street Parking Structure,
Village of Orland Park, https://www.orland-park.il.us/
index.aspx?NID=2414.
21
Residential Area Intensive Survey, Village of Orland
Park, 2008, 26.
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid., 27.
24
Ibid., 25.
25
Village of Orland Park. Ordinance 4131 - Land
Development Code Amendments 2006, Old Orland
Historic District (passed April 17, 2006).
26
Charles E. Gregersen and Melvyn A. Skvarla, Survey
for the Creation of an Old Orland Park Historic District
of Local Significance. Village of Orland Park, February
12, 1984.
27
Village of Orland Park, Land Development Code,
Section 5-110: Landmarks Designation, Amended by
Ord. 4375, 6/2/08.
28

29
Village of Orland Park, Land Development Code,
Section 5-110: Landmarks Designation, Amended by
Ord. 4375, 6/2/08.
30
Residential Area Intensive Survey, Village of Orland
Park, 2008, 27.
31
D. Lavoie, As developers look at Old Orland, many
asking if district is Historic or old? Daily Southtown,
November 9, 2003, B7; J. Rietsma, Teardown issue still
unresolved. The Star, November 13, 2003, 1, 4; Daily
Southtown Editorial. Orland must weigh rights and
history. Daily Southtown, November 12, 2003; Village
of Orland Park Development Services staff reports; M.
Drakulich, Old Orland historic district facing changes,
Daily Southtown, January 27, 2006; B. Kink, Striking a
balance: Will the lure of lucrative progress preserve Old
Orlands historical charm? Regional News, November
20, 2003.
32
Daily Southtown Editorial. Orland must weigh rights
and history. Daily Southtown, November 12, 2003.
33
Lavoie, As developers look at Old Orland, many
November 9, 2003, B7.
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid.
36
Village of Orland Park, Board of Trustees Meeting
Minutes, Monday, April 6, 2015 (2015-0102 Kelly Grove
II Subdivision); Village of Orland Park, Board of Trustees
Meeting Minutes, Monday, February 4, 2013 (2012-0690
Kelly Grove Subdivision); Dennis Sullivan, Trustees
remove last hurdle for new homes in historic district:
Builder gets OK to develop subdivision in Orland Park's
oldest neighborhood, Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2013;
Dennis Sullivan, Historic district to change? Chicago
Tribune, January 17, 2013.
37

November 9, 2003, B7; J. Rietsma, Teardown issue still
unresolved. The Star, November 13, 2003, 1, 4; Kink,
Forums explore Old Orlands character, The Regional
News, 3; Daily Southtown Editorial. Orland must weigh
rights and history. Daily Southtown, November 12,
2003; Kink, Striking a balance: Will the lure of lucrative
progress preserve Old Orlands historical charm?
Regional News, November 20, 2003; Drakulich,
Old Orland historic district facing changes, Daily
Southtown, January 27, 2006; M. Mullins, Keeping Old
Orland old : Residents want to see historical district
retain its charm, Daily Southtown, April 9, 2004, 2.
38
39
Ibid.
40
M. Mullins, Business owners, residents suggest mix
of venues for Old Orland, The Star, April 11, 2004, A5.
41
Ibid.
42
D. Lavoie, D. What to do with look of Old Orland.
Daily Southtown, March 1, 2005, A3.
43
44
Charles Stanley, Restoration a towering
achievement,Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2002;
Richard L. Hayes, "National Register of Historic Places
Registration Form: Twin Tower Sanctuary,"Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, April 12, 1988. http://gis.
hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/200991.pdf
45
Jim Sulski. Preservationist Takes the Plunge Retiree
Helps Revive an Unusual Church Building,Chicago
Tribune, April 15, 1998; Stanley Restoration a
towering achievement.Chicago Tribune, May 22,
2002; Diana Delogu, "Twin Towers Stand For The Past,
Future,"Chicago Tribune, August 10, 1993; Janet
Lundquist,. "Century's Worth Of History Within These

Walls."Chicago Tribune,May 13, 1998.
46
Drakulich, Old Orland historic district facing
changes, Daily Southtown, January 27, 2006.
47
Village of Orland Park, Appearance Improvement
Grant. Village of Orland Park, http://il-orlandpark2.
civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/1762
48
Village of Orland Park, Development Services &
Planning Committee, Meeting Minutes - January 21,
2013, Committee Meeting Minutes, Village of Orland
Park, 2013; Laura Zumbach, "Orland Park Facade
Upgrade Program Growing," Chicago Tribune, July 29,
2014; Ashley Rueff, After 3-year hiatus, Orland Park
reviving faade program, Chicago Tribune, February 5,
2013.
49
Village of Orland Park, Old Orland Facade
Improvement Programm Staff Report 2005-0747,
March 6, 2006.
50
Planning Committee, Meeting Minutes - January 21,
2013, Committee Meeting Minutes, Village of Orland
Park, 2013; Village of Orland Park, Development
Services Department, Appearance Improvement
Grant - Economic Development Program (Facade
Improvement Program) Staff Report (2012-0687),
51
Zumbach "Orland Park Facade Upgrade Program
Growing." Chicago Tribune, July 29, 2014; Rueff, After
3-year hiatus, Orland Park reviving faade program,
Chicago Tribune, February 5, 2013.
52
Charles Stanley Restoration a towering
achievement.Chicago Tribune, May 22, 2002.
53
116
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Connectivity, redevelopment pressures, the streetscape
appearance, and business vitality represent only a few of the
hurdles facing the Old Orland Historic District. Even though
Old Orland longer can claim the title as the Village's downtown,
tremendous opportunities exist for linking the Historic District
surrounding neighborhoods. While construction in the Main Street
Downtown District has initiated the creation of a new transitoriented town center, planning efforts should now turn toward
Old Orland. With the Main Street Downtown District as a catalyst,
new economic activity can trigger much needed improvements in
Old Orland. The Historic District has the potential to once again
become a vibrant place that fosters business activity, attracts
visitors, and enhances residents quality of life.
The following recommendations attempt to address the planning
challenges discussed in the previous chapter, build on the areas
existing assets, and at the same time protect the existing historic
character of Old Orland. The recommendations were determined
through carefully examining the past and present conditions in Old
Orland as well as from using lessons learned from other historic
downtowns. Countless historic neighborhoods have become
valuable educational resources on the history of the surrounding
communities. Although the future is yet to be uncovered, Old

Orland can follow a similar path as other downtowns and historic
districts across the county.
Each recommendation and strategy aims to accommodate both
future growth and development in Old Orland, while simultaneously
preserving and enhancing the existing character that contributes
to the Historic Districts unique identity. The recommendations
seek to resolve challenges brought about by existing street and
pedestrian connections, create a dynamic neighborhood fabric,
enhance the public realm, attract new investment, and restore
connections to surrounding neighborhoods.
Both short and long term planning will help ensure Old Orlands
historic assets are preserved and the District as a whole grows and
thrives in the future. These recommendations are by no means
exhaustive. Instead, they stand as suggestions which hopefully
will inspire other creative solutions. Regardless of future land
uses, existing historic structures should be retained to preserve
the Villages historic value and at the same time encourage future
growth and a dynamic community development.
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URBAN DESIGN ELEMENTS

The urban design elements are intended to
help create an integrated planning approach
for transforming Old Orland into vibrant
neighborhood over time. Urban design helps
create places that are attractive, memorable and
functional. Through incorporating the human
experience, it is concerned with the arrangement,
shape, appearance, and functionality of public
spaces. It addresses the relationship between
people, buildings, and open spaces within both
the public and private realm. Components of
urban design focus on the interfaces between
buildings and public spaces as well as how
the built environment can enhance livability,
strengthen local business, and create strong
communities with a special sense of place.
Collectively, these urban design components
will establish a strong sense of place and
identity for Old Orland. The Historic District is
envisioned to have a renewed, high-quality,
and highly-engaging public realm. These design
tools physically integrate many of the ideas and
strategies discussed in this chapter and set a
new direction for Old Orlands built environment.
The framework components are conceptual
and can help guide the planning and physical
design of reuse and preservation projects, new
development, and improvements to the public
realm. Urban design elements include a vibrant
pedestrian realm, a well-designed, active, &
engaging buildings, a unique local character and
identity, a connected network of open spaces,
and a sustainable environment.
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WELL-DESIGNED, ACTIVE ENGAGING BUILDINGS
VIBRANT PUBLIC REALM
CONNECTED NETWORK OF OPEN SPACES
UNIQUE LOCAL CHARACTER
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
A VISION FOR OLD ORLAND

1) A WELL-CONNECTED FRAMEWORK: Strengthen the street network and connect Old Orland to
surrounding districts
2) OPPORTUNITY SITES & FUTURE USES: Preserve Old Orlands unique character while accommodating
new infill and redevelopment projects at strategic locations, encouraging new uses, and strengthening
existing business district areas along 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and Beacon Avenue
3) A STRONG PUBLIC REALM: Implement streetscape improvements and provide inviting, memorable
neighborhood spaces that support public life.
4) ROBUST POLICIES & PROGRAMS. Update the existing policies and programs to improve the review
process, educate the public, protect historic and old buildings, promote compatible new development,
support a strong business climate, and encourage renovations and maintenances of existing buildings.
4) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Provide incentives for historic preservation while fostering a healthy
local economy
6) PARTNERSHIPS & OUTREACH: Actively engage the community in historic preservation efforts and
create partnerships to implement improvements
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1) A WELL-CONNECTED FRAMEWORK
Strengthen the street network & connect Old Orland to surrounding districts
Old Orlands built environment features a number of existing assets, including
a street grid with walkable blocks, appropriate scale and density, mix of uses,
historic character, and close proximity to transportation and nearby shopping.
The hierarchy of streets, traffic volumes, size and shape of blocks, appearance,
ease of access and mobility for pedestrians and vehicles, and parking are all
important components of the existing street system. Streets, sidewalks, walking
paths, and the railroad are all important routes that provide access points to the
neighborhood and from surrounding districts.
Yet, Old Orland remains physically and visually disconnected from the adjacent
Main Street Downtown and Village Center Districts, which includes nearby open
spaces, shopping, and services. Existing street and pedestrian connections also
limit access and mobility inside the District. The existing street network directly
impacts Old Orlands character, function, and business vitality. Because 143rd
Street is a major thoroughfare, people quickly pass by Old Orland. Instead,
the street network should encourage people to stop to spend time or shop in
the District. Enhancements to access and mobility will particularly impact the
business vitality along 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and Beacon Avenue as well
as make Old Orland overall a better, safe, pleasant, and engaging place to walk
and visit.
The following recommendations seek to provide better linkages and access in
Old Orland, both internally and externally. Pedestrian movement is prioritized
and integrated into a harmonious network of various modes of transportation,
including automobile, pedestrian, bike, and train routes. Through improving
connectivity and strengthening the existing framework, Old Orland will be
integrated internally and connected to the surrounding areas.
In both short and long term, Old Orlands streets should be enhanced and
planned in ways that accommodate automobiles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
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The traditional street grid pattern should be maintained where it already exists
and introduced in places where there are no connections. Sidewalks and public
spaces should help create a dynamic business climate that brings people
together and encourages interaction. All of the Historic Districts streets should
aim to be comfortable and safe for both vehicles and pedestrians, promoting the
use of public spaces and access to businesses.
STRATEGIES
1) IMPLEMENT NEW IMPROVEMENTS ALONG 143RD STREET
Currently, 143rd Street serves as the main roadway connection between Old
Orland and the Main Street Downtown District. Yet, as a major thoroughfare,
it acts as a barrier between the two neighborhoods. Heavy traffic, wide and
difficult-to-cross intersections, limited destinations, and poor streetwall and
appearance create a disconnected environment between the two districts.
In particular, an improved and appropriate design for the intersection of 143rd
Street, Union Avenue, and Southwest Highway should be studied. Improvements
to traffic circulation, access, safety, and parking along 143rd Street should
be further explored, including new traffic calming measures, relocating traffic
signals, realigning streets, and the consolidation of driveways opening to
minimize openings to 143rd Street.
While some intersection crossings are clearly defined as pedestrian connectors,
additional improvements can be made to improve traffic flow, connectivity,
and safety within the business areas. For example, intersections closer to the
Main Street Downtown District along 143rd Street, such as on Beacon Avenue
and Ravinia Avenue, have decorative-brick paved crosswalks. These types
FRAMEWORK PLAN
122
of crosswalks, either with brick pavers or another type of special pavement

material, should be extended toward West Avenue so that all intersections along
143rd Street are well-marked and safe for pedestrians to cross. New signalized
crosswalks, pedestrian refuges in landscape medians, and providing bulb outs
along the right of way could also create an enhanced pedestrian and vehicular
environment. Improving these intersections along 143rd Street can greatly
enhance the public realm, clarify paths of travel for all street users, and improve
the economic vitality of the business areas.
Additionally, as discussed in further detail in following Recommendation # 2:

Opportunity Sites & Future Land Uses, the redevelopment or improvement of
existing properties along 143rd Street will help to create a more attractive and
activated street with new destinations and attractions. Establishing new uses
will help to promote walkability and create a visual connection linking Old Orland
and the Main Street Downtown District.
IMPROVE 143RD STREET, SOUTHWEST HIGHWAY, AND UNION AVENUE INTERSECTION
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2) CREATE A CONTINUOUS & WELL-CONNECTED STREET SYSTEM
3) PROVIDE NEW PEDESTRIAN & OPEN SPACE CONNECTIONS
The reconfiguration of the interior streets and connections within Old Orland
should also be examined. For example, a street connection between Union
Avenue and Beacon Avenue could provide a link between Old Orlands two
commercial areas. At the very least, a pedestrian connection and public plaza
or park could tie the two areas together. Future redevelopment of multi-family
and office buildings between Beacon Avenue and Ravinia Avenue may provide
a chance to construct a new street linking Old Orland to Ravinia Avenue.
Given the challenges of constructing new roads within the existing street grid,
increased pedestrian connections and an extended dedicated multi-purpose
path can provide a way to link Old Orland to nearby neighborhoods, attractions,
and open space. An improved internal trail system featuring seating, unique
paving, lighting, and signage can help bolster linkages to nearby amenities
and provide local residents and visitors with a more enjoyable walking route.
The outcome will be a neighborhood with pedestrian-oriented places and safe
pathways separated from some busy streets.
CONNECTING OLD ORLAND TO RAVINIA LANE
CONNECTING BEACON AVENUE & UNION AVENUE
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The future trail system will create new linkages, allowing cyclists, pedestrians,
shoppers, office workers, and other Downtown visitors appreciate and enjoy
using the trail on a regular basis. In addition to improving connections, new
public spaces and an enhanced public realm will be integrated into the system.
Features of an improved pedestrian and open space system include:
Establish a Railroad Crossing Connecting Beacon Avenue and Union
Avenue
The Norfolk Southern Railroad splits Old Orland into two distinct districts and
limits both street and pedestrian connections. The tract of unincorporated land
particularly impacts the commercial area, separating between the businesses
along Union Avenue and Beacon Avenue.
A pedestrian connection between Beacon Avenue, Oak Place and Union Avenue
will help to connect the two business areas in Old Orland. A pedestrian connection
was proposed to the Norfolk and Southern Railroad in the early 1990s, however,
it was never implemented. Creating a new rail crossing, whether in the form of a
new street or as a pedestrian path, is a challenge. Yet, a new pathway will help
address some of existing connectivity problems in Old Orland. A new street
providing a vehicular connection between Union and Beacon Avenue will be
difficult to implement given existing grading, building configurations, costs, and
negotiations with Norfolk Southern Railroad property owners. However, a new
street could be built in the future with the redevelopment of certain properties.
It would help improve eastwest continuity of the existing road system by
providing a direct link between the two business areas. Further, the new street
would provide a safe, walkable environment that diverts traffic away from the
congested existing grade crossings at 143rd Street and Southwest Highway.
In the short-term, a new pedestrian connection between Beacon Avenue,
Oak Place and Union Avenue will help to connect the two business areas in
Old Orland. A new pathway connecting these existing streets ties into plans
for converting the old Metra commuter parking lot on 144th Street into a new
park or plaza. The Village of Orland Park has explored the creation of a park or
plaza in this area, known as Beacon Park. This site will be discussed further in
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Recommendation #3: A Strong Public Realm.

Humphrey Woods Gateway & Trail
A small park located on Village-owned property at the corner of 144th Place
and Beacon Avenue would serve as a gateway feature with a new trail path
extending from Old Orland to the Humphrey Woods and the Village Campus.
An existing trail system is located within the Village Center District, which
connects to the Humphrey Woods, John Humphrey Complex, Hostert Log
Cabins, nearby schools, and existing sidewalk and roadway system. Extending
a new access point from this trail into Old Orland will help to the Village Center
District, the existing trail and bike path system, as well as parks and recreational
opportunities. Residents and visitors will also be also to access popular special
events held near Village Hall, such as the local summer farmers market and
Orland Days. The development of a small park and trail will be explored further
in Recommendation #3: A Strong Public Realm.
Install New Sidewalk Connections
Old Orland is generally well connected with sidewalks, yet there are some gaps
in the system and increased crosswalks would improve pedestrian safety. A
number of streets do not have sidewalks on both sides of the road, including
sections of West Avenue, First Avenue, Second Avenue, Third Avenue, and
Beacon Avenue. Where possible, new sidewalks should be installed and old
ones should be repaired.
Create Engaging Sidewalks
Sidewalks are critical to enhancing the public realm. In addition to the
streetscape recommendations described later in this chapter, Old Orlands
sidewalks should be re-imagined as engaging spaces, particularly those
adjacent to businesses and public spaces. Outdoor seating, landscaping, public
art, improved storefronts, and street furniture will help activate existing uses and
create a more attractive street environment. Activating the streets and pathways
in and around Old Orland will be discussed further in Recommendation # 2:
Opportunity Sites & Future Land Uses.
FUTURE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS
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2) OPPORTUNITY SITES & FUTURE LAND USES

Preserve Old Orlands unique character while accommodating new infill and redevelopment projects at strategic locations,
encouraging new uses, and strengthening existing business district areas along 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and Beacon Avenue
Old Orland currently does not support a critical mass of people and activities.
Transforming Old Orland into a neighborhood that attracts both visitors,
retains and brings in new businesses, and encourages both preservation
and redevelopment will require a new concentration of land uses as well as
improvements to the public realm. Fortunately, there are ample opportunities
for providing new residential, retail, and office uses to the area. The following
opportunity sites and land uses illustrate a vision for Old Orland and the
surrounding areas, demonstrating how preservation, redevelopment, and new
construction projects can be strategically pursued in a manner that enhances
the overall character, connectivity, and identity of the District. The framework is a
long-term vision and can help guide reinvestment and future land use decisions.
It will help transform into a vibrant mixed use district, with a diverse mix of land
uses not only outside its boundaries, but also within.
The following subareas were identified to provide a plan for Old Orland and the
surrounding areas, with specific opportunity sites and a range of appropriate
development opportunities and land uses included in each section:
1) 143rd Street Mixed-Use Corridor
2) Beacon Avenue & Union Avenue Commercial Areas
3) Established Residential Area
4) Transitional Residential Area
5) Open Space Connections
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING TO SURROUNDING DISTRICTS
The areas around Old Orland are quickly changing. In particular, development
in the Main Street Downtown District will new opportunities for Old Orland.
One of the first major tasks critical for improving Old Orland will be to create a
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continuous urban environment. Capitalizing on surrounding development and

connecting the Historic District to the up-and-coming Main Street Downtown
District will help to reinvest and reestablish Old Orland as a dynamic place tied
to Orland Parks historic past.
Development in the Main Street Downtown District should be done in a manner
that ensures Old Orland's future prosperity and preservation in the future. The
two districts do not need to remain separated, but should work together to
support each others success and overall economic growth of the Village. The
Main Street Downtown District should play a supportive role in Old Orlands
future rather than magnifying existing issues related to the demolition and
redevelopment of historic properties in addition to the viability of existing
businesses. In some ways, investment in the Main Street District places Old
Orland in a precarious situation by increasingly branding Old Orland as an
attractive, valuable neighborhood prime for private real estate redevelopment.
Given that development in the Main Street Downtown District is underway and
all the parcels are not built out, it is difficult to chart acourse for Old Orlands
future and its role in the newly forming Downtown area. Nonetheless, Old Orland
should not be forgotten within the planning process. The question remains as
how to preserve Old Orlands past and make it a valuable, economically viable
place that adapts and grows in the future.
In addition to the Main Street Downtown District, Old Orland, the Village Center
District and other surrounding neighborhoods should be linked together so that
the entire area is cohesive and aesthetically pleasing. Connecting to the Village
Center District provides an opportunity to link Old Orland to civic buildings, the
summer farmers markets, festivals, and other events. Important connections
to Orland Crossing and the LaGrange Road Corridor should also be pursued.
OPPORTUNITY AREAS & SITES

The preservation, redevelopment, or improvement
of strategic properties will help create new
image of Old Orland and provide a much needed
connection to the Main Street District. Opportunity
sites were selected because they are likely
candidates for redevelopment or would have the
most significant impact in terms of connectivity,
aesthetics, character, or business viability. In
addition to identifying sites most appropriate
for change or redevelopment, sites were also
evaluated in terms of preservation, their status
as a contributing structure to the Historic District,
or potential eligibility for historic designation.
Underutilized or vacant buildings or land, site
design and size of the property, location, visibility,
access, ownership, opportunity for assembling
adjacent parcels, land uses, and historic status
were considered in identifying these sites.
Each area and the selected sites highlight
opportunities for improvement and redevelopment
that could have a catalytic effect on Old Orland and
connect the Historic District to the surrounding
areas. Additionally, the following recommendations
demonstrate how historic preservation can further
strategic goals for development in the Main Street
Downtown, Orland Crossing, and Village Center
Districts. With creative and context sensitive
planning and design, these opportunity sites can
lead the way for a renewed vibrancy and continued
reinvestment in the larger area.
OPPORTUNITY AREAS
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1) 143RD STREET MIXED-USE CORRIDOR

The revitalization and redevelopment of 143rd Street is a major element that will ensure land use
continuity between the Old Orland and Main Street District.
While 143rd Street provides visibility and vehicular access to Old Orland, it also acts as physical
barriers for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Even though the two districts are directly adjacent
to each other, the areas do not feel walkable from one to another. This is largely because the
visual continuity and type of uses between Old Orland and the Main Street Downtown District
are fragmented.
The sites along 143rd Street provide an opportunity for commercial and mixed-used redevelopment
in a manner that reinforces a more traditional Downtown development pattern and connects the
Main Street Downtown District to Old Orland. Creating a connected commercial district along
143rd Street will allow for a range of new, creative land use options to revitalize the Old Orland.
To achieve this, the following should be considered:
LOCATE MIXED-USE BUILDINGS ON VACANT &

UNDERUTILIZED LAND
Land Uses. Commercial and mixed-use buildings along 143rd Street to create a full frontage
of new and old buildings filled with restaurants, cafes and outdoor seating at the street level
with offices or residential units above. A mixture of commercial retail, restaurants, offices,
entertainment, and civic uses on the ground floor of buildings with residential and office
uses on the upper floors should be prioritized. Mixed-use projects will bring a renewed
combination of residential, restaurant, entertainment, and recreational activities along 143rd
Street. Strong business and restaurant anchors along 143rd Street will become the central
feature of the District. A balance of retail, restaurant, and office activities will provide vital
services to the residents of the community and will attract visitors to the area.
Historic Preservation. Support the adaptive reuse or rehabilitation of historic and potentially
contributing structures.
PRESERVE, ADAPTIVE REUSE, AND IMPROVE

HISTORIC PROPERTIES
Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece
old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent state of rehabilitation - although these make fine ingredients - but also a good lot of plain, ordinary, low-value old
buildings, including some rundown old buildings... Even the enterprises that can support new construction in cities need old construction in their immediate vicinity.
Otherwise they are part of a total attraction and total environment that is economically too limited - and therefore functionally too limited to be lively, interesting
and convenient. Flourishing diversity anywhere in a city means the mingling of high-yield, middling-yield, low-yield and no-yield enterprises.
Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.
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Infill Development & Redevelopment. Underutilized land, vacant properties, and surface parking lots should
be converted into meaningful, productive uses. New buildings or additions should be sensitive to adjacent
historic buildings and reflect the existing development pattern through compatibility with building orientation,
height, massing, setbacks, land use, and the location or visibility of parking lots.
Transit-Oriented Development. While there is train access via the 143rd Street Metra Station and a higher
density of newer buildings within the Main Street area, the overall area still is noticeably automobile-oriented
with single-story commercial buildings and surface parking lots. Building heights and higher densities should be
highest along 143rd Street to take advantage of the nearby Metra station and Downtown development.
Public Realm. Ensure a high quality design and development in both the public and private realms. Create
a strong streetwall that visually maintains a connection between Old Orland and the Main Street Downtown
District as well as engages and activates the pedestrian environment. Buildings should be oriented toward the
street, located at or near the sidewalk with attractive storefront facades. The importance of public spaces and
sidewalks should be emphasized to promote a sense of place and welcoming environment for residents and
visitors. Outdoor seating, building and streetscape design, ground floor activity, landscape elements, and other
pedestrian amenities will give life to the sidewalk.
130
Parking. For the past few decades, businesses in Old Orland have noted a
lack of parking. A five-story parking deck is under constructed on Ravinia
Avenue and 143rd Street, which will serve the Main Street Downtown
District and University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care.
When completed the parking deck will include over 520 parking spaces,
most of which will be dedicated for public parking. The addition of these
public parking spaces will provide additional nearby parking to Old Orland.
Wayfinding signage should be located between the parking deck and Old
Orland to promote off-site parking opportunities. Convenient access to
additional parking in the Historic District should be further pursued with
redevelopment. Shared access points and cross-access between buildings
should be promoted. Off-street parking can be improved by better organizing
existing and proposed parking lots.
Existing surface parking lots, particularly along 143rd Street and other
business areas, contribute to a poor pedestrian environment and should
be removed with redevelopment or properly screened during site
improvements. The large number of parking lot curb cuts and driveways
along 143rd Street also create an unattractive street wall and contribute to
unsafe road crossings. Consolidating driveways to minimize openings and
screening parking lots from view will provide a buffer from adjacent uses
and pedestrian walkways.
Future parking lots should be located behind buildings at the rear of the
properties and designed in a manner that provides both a coordinated
shared parking area with cross access. Using a shared parking approach
will help to create a more efficient site design, reduce the number of curb
cuts, alleviate congestion, and enhance the appearance of properties from
the street.
Streetscape Improvements. Improve appearance of the street through
screening surface parking lots, adding new landscaping, and modernizing
outdated facades.
Plazas & Civic Spaces. Locate public gathering spaces and plazas across
143rd Street.
PROPERLY SCREEN PARKING LOTS OR REDEVELOPINTO NEW USES OR

CIVIC SPACES
131
IMPROVE THE PUBLIC REALM AND

STREETSCAPE APPEARANCE
2) BEACON AVENUE & UNION AVENUE COMMERCIAL AREAS

The two commercial areas within Old Orland are separated via the Norfolk
Southern Railroad, which has created a diffused downtown area. Heavy traffic
along 143rd Street, a poor streetscape, outdated building facades, surface
parking lots, and lack of anchors do not draw visitors into the District and has
contributed to the disconnected feeling between Old Orland and the nearby
up-and-coming Main Street Downtown District. These areas consist of a mix
of commercial and mixed-use buildings, single family homes, antique stores,
restaurants and offices. Both also have street and off-street parking options.
As a thoroughfare with high traffic volumes, 143rd Street does not properly
connect these two districts. These two streets could improve by using many
of the recommendations provided for the 143rd Street Mixed-Use Corridor.
However, given the more residential and neighborhood character of Beacon and
Union Avenues, redevelopment and site improvement projects should be of a
smaller scale and compatible with neighboring properties. The following should
be considered for improving these streets:
Create a Strong Business Environment with Important Anchors. One
of the biggest challenges will be to create a critical mass of compatible uses.
Businesses in Old Orland primarily consist of small antique shops, stores,
offices, and restaurants. There is a lack of an anchor or complementary
business establishments that serve to attract new and repeat visitors to
the area. The types of businesses currently inhabiting the District have also
contributed to the disconnected and weak relationship between Old Orland
and the nearby areas. The two commercial areas within Old Orland are
separated via the Norfolk Southern Railroad, which has created a diffused
downtown area. Heavy traffic along 143rd Street, a poor streetscape,
outdated building facades, surface parking lots, and lack of anchors do
not draw visitors into the District and has contributed to the disconnected
feeling between Old Orland and the nearby up-and-coming Main Street
Downtown District.
However, Old Orlands locally-owned, small businesses provides a sense
of place within unique environment. The area provides a distinct character
amidst the majority of Orland Parks commercial environment, which is

dominated by big-box and chain stores. New land uses and businesses
will help support the existing businesses, provide established anchors
that attract new visitors to the area, and re-integrate Old Orland into local
commerce. A range of different businesses of various sizes and types can
attract a balance of visitors and local customers while at the same time
increasing economic development opportunities.
Old Orlands future land uses should build off of the success of the Main
Street Downtown District by attracting a significant amount of pedestrian
traffic and ensuring customers make several stops to various businesses.
New restaurants, cafes, art galleries, book stores, clothing stores, or other
upscale or boutique retailers can help retain and improve the areas existing
unique character. Boutiques, specialty stores, and unique eateries will
provide unique services not offered in existing shopping locations within
the Village and draw shoppers and visitors into Old Orland. Both older and
new mixed-use buildings can provide unique venues for local commerce
and become the anchoring characteristic. Mixed-use buildings, restaurants,
and stores should be prioritized closer to 143rd Street should be prioritized
to take advantage of the visibility along the major thoroughfare.
The creation of a Restaurant Row, which has been successfully
implemented in other historic districts, should be considered. A restaurant
row can build upon and maintain the existing residential and neighborhood
commercial character of the area, while creating active uses that link to
the nearby Main Street Downtown District. Old Orland has the potential
to become an eclectic, flexible, intimate environment. Retrofitting existing
buildings and the construction of new buildings can reflect the massing and
setbacks of the original residential character of certain streets to convey an
intimacy and familiarity common to closely spaced urban housing. Outdoor
seating, landscaping, and hidden or separated parking areas will help to
complement restaurant uses and bring a renewed life to the streets.
Promote the Preservation & Rehabilitation of Existing Historic
Properties. There are a handful of contributing and potentially contributing
historic structures along Beacon Avenue and Union Avenue. Unfortunately,
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some of the designated historic structures are starting to show signs of

neglect and deferred maintenance. Additional efforts need to be made to
ensure these important buildings are properly maintained and preserved
over time. The protection of both unique streets will continue to provide
affordable and small-scale commercial opportunities and incubators for
local businesses. The charm of this local commercial enclave would be
destroyed by demolition and construction of larger scale and less affordable
commercial structures.
New flexible zoning and parking solutions for business uses should be
explored to support existing and future small businesses. Some residential
buildings have been converted into commercial uses or antique stores. The
adaptive reuse of other building may also be supported through addressing
building codes and economic incentives.
Capitalize on Existing Museums. There are currently two museums along
Beacon Avenue: the Humphrey House Museum is located on the corner
of Beacon Avenue and 144th Place and Orland Park History Museum
recently opened in the former Village Hall site on Beacon Avenue. While
these museums represent an important pathway for spreading awareness
of local heritage, both museums are not living up to their potential as major
tourist attractions. Both museums have limited hours, funding, staffing, and
HUMPHREY MUSEUM
ORLAND PARK HISTORY MUSEUM
133
Internet presence. With additional support and investment, both museums

could become important community assets that attract people to Old
Orland and help make local history more accessible to the public.
Expand the Orland Park History Museum. The Village of Orland Park
recently opened a history museum in the former Village Hall site on
Beacon Avenue. The museum, which consists of a number of artifacts
and photographs celebrating the history of Orland Park, serves to
educate residents and visitors on the Villages unique past. The chosen
site of the museum is located at the original site of Village hall, which
was used from about the late 1800s to 1989. The current building was
constructed in approximately 1960 and is an appropriate place to house
the museum due to its location in the Historic District and the important
history of the site. Yet, the museum is in the center of the Old Orland
and has little visibility from major roads to draw visitors to the site.
Additionally, the museum only occupies a small portion of the existing
building and for now, has limited hours. It is only opened on Thursday
and Saturday, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m., and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the
second Sunday of the month.
The newly opened history museum has the potential to become a strong
anchor in the heart of the Historic District that welcomes pedestrian
activity. Expanding the museum and locating a complementary use
within the building will help support adjacent business located in Old
Orland and support heritage tourism. Without complementary uses,
the history museum may become an isolated destination. Often times,
museums successfully partner with a gallery, a cafe, or another retail
use to encourage activity and create complementary uses that draws
residents and visitors to the area. Co-locating another use in the old
village hall building could be a viable solution that maximizes the
potential of the site and creates a cultural destination that complements
the surrounding historic homes and commercial buildings. A small
restaurant or caf, an art gallery, or performing arts space are some
examples of complementary uses. Additionally, the museum can house
meeting spaces, public events, festivals, and exhibitions.
Preserve and Support the Humphrey House Museum. The Humphrey

House Museum, owned by the Orland Historical Society, is an Orland
Park Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The property includes the largest open space in Old Orland, a half-acre
piece of land is located to the north of the Museum. The space was
previously planned for a community botanical garden, but was never
implemented because of storm water runoff drainage issues.
The green space is generally not used, but could be a future location for
important events in Old Orland. The building is showing signs of poor
maintenance and deferred care. Steps should be taken to ensure proper
restoration work is initiated so that the museum can be an important,
active feature of Old Orland.
Compatible Mixed Use Buildings. With the construction of the Main
Street Downtown District, redevelopment in the area may be problematic
for future small businesses housing in existing buildings. Redevelopment of
opportunity sites should be of a scale, mass, and a harmonized appearance
that complements rather than overwhelms the local character that defines
the area today.
Future mixed use, single family attached, or multi-family residential should
fit the scale of the neighborhood and enhance the existing character. But
they should still feature building elements that contribute to the public
realm and create a strong streetwall, including ground floor storefronts,
landscaping, street furniture, and other pedestrian amenities. Buildings
should be designed with an inviting street presence and collectively create
a supportive and dynamic business district.
Activating the Street. Commercial and restaurant anchors, in addition
to other uses, will help active the business district areas. Streetscape
improvements, updating existing facades, building a cohesive streetwall,
screening parking lots, and locating new plazas and outdoor seating along
sidewalks will create new a vibrancy providing both daytime and nighttime
activity and a physical environment with a walkable component and
contributes to the areas overall sense of place.
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Parking. Parking lots should be located behind

buildings and the number of driveways and curb
cuts to 143rd Street should be limited or located at
shared access point with connected cross access
routes. Additionally, on-street parking can be
reexamined along Beacon Avenue, Union Avenue,
Brook Avenue, West Avenue and 143rd Street to
provide access to businesses. The parking needs
compared to existing inventory should be further
examined and changes to the zoning code should
be made accordingly to achieve a healthy balance
of on and off-street parking.
3) ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL AREA
Single-family residential homes in the middle and south
ends of the Historic District should seek to preserve Old
Orlands existing character. There are some examples
of existing single family attached, multi-family, and
mixed use buildings in this area as well. Preservation,
maintenance, rehabilitation or infill development of a
consistent scale and character of the historic housing
already in place should be encouraged. However,
the single-family homes in this area of Old Orland
have faced the majority of redevelopment pressures
over the past decade. Potentially contributing singlefamily homes are threated by demolition and the new
construction of larger, modern homes. As discussed in
Recommendation # 4: Robust Policies and Programs,
additional efforts need to be made to ensure the historic
and potentially contributing structures in this area are
properly maintained to avoid demolition by neglect and
rehabilitation is encouraged.
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4) TRANSITIONAL RESIDENTIAL AREA (MULTI-FAMILY AND SINGLEFAMILY ATTACHED BUILDINGS)

The area south of 143rd Street along Ravinia Avenue, Ravinia Lane, and
Jefferson Avenue are ideal for new multi-family buildings and single familyattached row houses. Currently, the area primarily consists of outdated multifamily buildings constructed in the 1970s that limit connectivity between the
Main Street Downtown and Old Orland Districts. The surface parking lots,
underutilized land, and disconnected streets create a number of challenges.
The redevelopment of this area should be compatible with the existing residential
uses, but also takes advantage of increased density and close proximity to
the Metra Station, Downtown Main Street Triangle, and nearby services and
amenities. Redevelopment should seek to accommodate a diversity of housing

types, including townhomes, row houses, multi-family buildings, senior housing,
and live-work units to provide a residential critical mass for commercial, service,
and transit uses. The buildings should be oriented toward the street with
enclosed parking access via rear alleys. Parking for larger multi-family buildings
should be designed to minimize the visual impact of the parking lots.
5) OPEN SPACE CONNECTIONS
There are a number of civic and open space opportunities that could provide
new multi-use path connections between Old Orland and the surrounding
districts. These will be explored further in the following Recommendation 3#: A
Strong Public Realm.
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3) A STRONG PUBLIC REALM

Implement streetscape improvements and provide inviting, memorable neighborhood spaces that support public life
Vibrant street life relies on a strong public realm. The public gathering spaces,
the aesthetic quality of buildings, streetscape appearances, and landscaping all
contribute to creating a pleasant downtown environment that attracts people
and provides a place where they want to spend time in. New civic and green
spaces as well as streetscape improvements will enhance Old Orland's public
realm.
STRATEGIES
1) PROVIDING NEW OPEN SPACES & PLAZAS
Although there are numerous parks and open spaces surrounding Old Orland,
there is a lack of public gathering spaces within the District and a lack of
connection to the surrounding park space. The area would benefit from both
large and small permanent gathering spaces, including a central plaza or
smaller parks. The newly developed open spaces and extended trail system will
provide additional areas where people can interact with one another and enjoy
a method for easily moving between adjacent districts, parks, and recreational
opportunities.
New civic gathering spaces in Old Orland will support special events, help
promote activities, and attract visitors and potential shops to the area. The
following areas have been identified as ideal locations for new or improved civic
and open spaces:
BEACON PARK SITE
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VILLAGE CONCEPT PLAN FOR BEACON PARK
Beacon Park. A large park and plaza could be located in the

existing underutilized gravel parking that was used for Metra
commuter permit parking and was the site of the former Beacon
Auto Parts Store (since demolished). The 2-acre property is
located along the railroad tracks in the heart of Old Orland with
close access to the Metra Station and the Main Street Downtown
District. This lot, rarely utilized, is overgrown and currently stands
as an eyesore in the neighborhood. The site provides pedestrian
access for neighborhood residents that take frequent the 143rd
Street Orland Park Station. The Village previously identified this
propertys potential as a neighborhood park, envisioning the site
as the future Beacon Park.
The redesigned gravel parking lot will serve as the central
plaza and visual link to the Historic District, providing gateway
signage, pedestrian connections, and public gathering space. The
construction of a new plaza and park space will help strengthen the
communitys character and create a critical connection between
the Historic District, the Main Street downtown development,
and between the commercial area on Union Avenue and the
commercial area on Beacon Avenue. The new engaging public
space will help transform Old Orland into a pedestrian-friendly
environment by providing places for people to walk, socialize and
experience the Historic District.
Public art, wayfinding and signage, lighting, seating, an event
space, and other pedestrian amenities should be incorporated into
this new plaza to create an active, comfortable place for people to
gather and spend time.
Humphrey Woods Gateway Park & Trail. There is potential to
construct a small park and connected trail system at the .3-acre
Village-owned property on the southeast corner of 144th Place
and Beacon Avenue. The site is directly south of Frontier Park,
which could provide ample parking for people using the trail, and
is close to the existing path in Humphrey Woods. The property
HUMPHREY WOODS WOODS GATEWAY PART & TRAIL
138
can serve as the gateway to Old Orland and connect the Historic District to
Humphrey Woods, the Village Center Campus, and the Humphrey Sports
Complex located to the south. A new multi-use trail can extend from this
entrance to the existing path in Humphrey Woods.
Humphrey House Garden. The Humphrey House Museum, at 9830 W
144th Place, includes a half-acre open space, the largest open space in
Old Orland. A community botanical garden was previously planned on site,
but was never implemented because of storm water runoff drainage issues.
The site should be re-evaluated for its potential to hold a community event
space that can be utilized by residents and also help attract new visitors to
the Humphrey House Museum.
Other Redevelopment Opportunity Sites. Additionally, smaller public
open spaces can be located within existing parking lots or underutilized
land to offer attractive places for gathering. Redevelopment and infill
development projects should ensure that small publicly-accessible open
spaces or small plazas are incorporated.
2) COMPLETE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS
Old Orlands physical appearance, particularly along 143rd Street, is in need of
improvements. An attractive, pedestrian-friendly streetscape should include a
combination of landscaped areas and planters, a tree canopy, lighting, street
furniture, public art, and other amenities. Enhancing the existing streetscape
experience will help make Old Orland more inviting for shoppers, diners,
residents, and visitors as well as connect the Historic District to the Main Street
District. The following improvements will help to support existing businesses,
attract new development, and create a well-connected, attractive environment
while maintaining Old Orlands character and identity:
Bury Overhead Utility Lines. Overhead utility lines and poles are located
on a number of streets in the Historic District. Of note, the utility lines
along 143rd Street and Beacon Avenue should be buried to enhance the
appearance of the street and improve the appearance of the business
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district. Residential streets could also benefit from locating utility lines
underground.
Install Consistent Street Lighting. A handful of historic-inspired street
lights are located throughout Old Orland. Yet, street light styles are
inconsistent throughout the District. Large street lights and overhead utility
lines along 143rd Street create an unattractive and cluttered appearance.
Lighting can have a dramatic impact on creating a sense of place. When
properly designed, lighting relates to a pedestrian scale using repetition and
pattern to create a consistent image. For Old Orland, street lighting should
be replaced with one unified style, preferably the existing historic street
lights. These lights will serve as a unifying feature for the entire area.
Plant New Landscaping & Trees. Landscaping and trees are limited along
143rd Street and Union Avenue. Adding trees and landscaping in proper
locations can have a positive effect on the pedestrian environment, business
climate, and overall image of Old Orland. They provide comfort to public
spaces, create a sense of safety and security from traffic, and reinforce the
importance of a walkable street. New trees will create a continuous canopy
while raised planters and landscaping can help define spaces and screen
surface parking lots. Plantings along the Norfolk Southern Railroad right-ofway would also help enhance entry point to Old Orland.
Provide Street Furniture & Public Features. Street furniture and public
features would improve the pedestrian experience of Old Orland. Benches,
trash receptacles, bike racks, lighting, public art, and unified landscaping
elements will help activate the public realm and help to create a warm
and inviting place. These type of features are particularly important within
the business areas, unifying the area into a unique, pedestrian friendly
environment. Street furniture would have a cohesive style that would reflect
the Historic Districts historic character. Outdoor dining and public art
should also be pursued to enhance the pedestrian environment and support
economic activity.
To build on Old Orlands historic character, public art related to the
Villages history could be located throughout the District. This could include
equipment related to farming or the railroad as well as other historic artifacts.

Install Gateway & Wayfinding Signage. Old Orland would benefit from
attractive and cohesive signage, particularly for wayfinding or gateway
purposes. Currently, a Historic District monument sign is located in the
middle of the Old Orland, adjacent to an unattractive gravel parking lot and
railroad viaduct. The existing wood sign is outdated and its location does
not help guide visitors to the District, undermining its use for wayfinding
and gateway signage purposes. A number of Old Orland Historic District
signs are scattered around the neighborhood, most of which are posted
on utility poles. These small signs are worn and need to be replaced. All of
the existing signs lack a distinctive character and does not create a distinct
identity to the Districts entrance.
There is an opportunity to create unified, consistent signage that relates
to each other and expresses the historic character of the area. Image and
identification are essential to the success of the District, not only to highlight
its past but direct people to the commercial areas. Distinct signage could
be used to reinforce the historic character of Old Orland. Where possible,
some existing signs along 143rd Street should be removed or relocated
to reduce clutter. Additionally, coordinated signage should be introduced
as part of a larger wayfinding system within the village to guide visitors
traveling to Old Orland by foot, bike, transit, or car.
Gateway signs should take advantage of existing or new view corridors,
which play an important role by providing visual cues to visitors entering or
are in close proximity to Old Orland. The lack of existing signage does not
provide visual prompts that visitors are approaching the Districts business
areas. The use of wayfinding and directional signage is critically important
for many of the stores in Old Orlands business areas, which are tucked
away on Union Avenue and Beacon Avenue. To ensure their success and
attract a steady flow of new customers, these stores must be visible to both
pedestrian and automobile traffic.
Old Orland can become an important place to stop for both residents and
visitors. Attractive gateways and wayfinding signage will make it easy to
find Old Orland from the major routes into Orland Park as well as from the
Village Center, the Metra train station, and new development in the Main
Street District.
Large gateway signs should be aimed toward approaching traffic and
advantage of the location they are placed in. Ideal locations for large gateway
signs or arches include 143rd Street and West Avenue, the intersection of
the Norfolk Railroad and West Avenue, 143rd Street and Beacon Avenue,
143rd Street and Southwest Highway. These areas will help define visible
entrances to Old Orland and enhance the Districts unique identity.
There are little if any visible directional signage located on major street
arteries, leaving the businesses with less direct exposure from nearby major
traffic routes. Wayfinding should play an especially important role in helping
visitors locate the Historic District from these routes. Signage that identifies
and directs visitors to Old Orland should be located along the east, west
and north approaches to the La Grange Road as well as along 143rd Street.
There are a number of key location options for directional signage in the
surrounding area, such as along LaGrange Road and within neighboring
districts, including the Main Street and Village Center Districts. Ensure
wayfinding signage is property designed and located near the Main Street
Downtown District will be important, particularly for directing visitors to and
from public parking opportunities currently under construction.
Finally, there is an opportunity to integrate history into new signage,
particularly along sidewalks and an integrated trail system. Interpretive
signage can relay the story of Old Orland and raise awareness of its history.
Currently, there is a Historic Marker Program in Old Orland, where plaques
relay the history of typically of individual buildings. However, these only
exist on a handful of buildings.
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4) ROBUST POLICIES & PROGRAMS

Update existing policies and programs to improve the review process, educate the public, protect historic and old buildings, promote
compatible new development, support a strong business climate, and encourage renovations and maintenances of existing buildings
Preservation planning is critical to managing growth and change. Updating
relevant policies and adopting best practices can reinforce historic preservation
goals, and avoid incompatible infill or redevelopment projects detract from
a neighborhoods character. Reconsidering Orland Parks policies and
design guidelines that impact the area can provide opportunities to improve
the areas underlying value and support the maintenance of existing historic
buildings. Despite an increase in tear-downs over the past decade, adopting
an updated historic preservation ordinance, effective strategy, and new policies
or programs will help strengthen, preserve, and protect Old Orlands historic
sense of place and simultaneously encourage future stability. As development
pressures continue to arise from new construction projects in the Main Street
Downtown District, current policies and programs will not be sufficient to retain
Old Orlands historic character and the adoption of rational, proactive policies to
identify, designate, and preserve additional historic resources will be necessary.
The recommendations will highlight the need for the Village to protect its historic
resources and include a range of possible planning initiatives, including new
construction and design guidelines.
STRATEGIES
1) REEVALUATE HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS & ENCOURAGE
HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS
FACING DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE IN OLD ORLAND
The 16 buildings classified as contributing structures and landmarks in LDC
Section 6-209 and Section 5-110 are the only buildings protected in the District
by code. According to the 2008 RAI Survey, in addition to these 16 contributing
141
buildings identified in the LDC, 30 additional buildings located in the Historic

District were noted as contributing to Old Orlands historic significance or
value.1 Additional buildings located just outside the existing boundaries of the
Old Orland Historic District were also identified by the 2008 RAI Survey. Yet,
despite the surveys classification, buildings recognized as contributing by the
2008 RAI survey are not legally recognized as contributing structures by the
LDC.
As a result, these non-contributing but important buildings are increasingly
threatened by demolition. The demolition of or changes to these structures
requires only an administrate review. They are subject to less protections and
do no require a public hearing or review by the Plan Commission, Development
Services and Planning Committee, and Board of Trustees meetings. A handful
of these buildings have already been demolished to date due to a lack of
protection under the LDC. However, remaining buildings are worth preserving
to commemorate the Villages history and the Districts collective character
and architectural styles. These non-contributing structures have the potential
to become recognized as contributing to the Historic District via restoration or
rehabilitation.
As noted in Recommendation # 4 Economic Development, new incentives and
programs show be extended to properties listed as contributing structures
in the 2008 RAI Survey with the stipulation of landmark designation. These
properties would be able to take advantage of the Villages revised Appearance
Improvement Grant (AIG) program to complete important historic restoration,
faade, and site improvements. Additionally, it would incentive additional
landmark designations in Old Orland and increase the number of properties
rehabilitated and protected from demolition.
Proactive measures need to be put in place to ensure Old Orlands unprotected

historic resources are preserved for future generations. Efforts should include
notifying property owners of the historic status of their buildings, encouraging
landmark designation, motivating landmark designation options with new and
updated incentive programs, and meeting with owners of properties susceptible
to redevelopment to determine future plans.
2) REVISE THE EXISTING DEMOLITION DELAY POLICY
The demolition of potentially contributing structures for larger, modern buildings
has been a trend in Old Orland. In some cases, these houses and buildings could
have been rehabilitated or restored. In other cases, neglect and deferred property
maintenance over time contributed to tear downs. Unnecessary demolitions can
erode the fabric of historic neighborhoods. Additional demolitions in Old Orland
could mean the further loss of the buildings that symbolize Orland Parks rural
history and its initial development along the railroad. These buildings cannot be
replaced once demolished.
Not every old building is a candidate for preservation. And there will always
be differing opinions on what should be preserved, preservation and planning
priorities, and what role local government should have in preservation.
But, conversely, not every new development project is good for economic
development or benefits a neighborhood. While demolition may be deemed
more cost effective than preservation, many buildings have the opportunity
to be preserved, be adapted to hold new uses, be retrofitted or modernized.
Additional buildings should be considered for preservation, creative uses, and
future potential alternatives.
Many cities and towns have enacted demolition delays to help prevent
demolitions within historic districts. Demolition delay places a moratorium on
demolition permits for historic or potentially historic buildings, for a fixed period
of days or months. This period allows time to explore alternative options to
demolition, other economically viable uses for a property, a public hearing
before a government review body, and notifying property owners of demolition
plans within a historic district. A demolition delay is an opportunity to open
conversations about alternatives to demolition of a contributing structure, but is
not an absolute means for preventing demolition.
In Orland Park, contributing and landmark structures are subject to a demolition
delay period. Demolitions of contributing structures require a Certificate of
Appropriateness (COA) for Demolition and are subject to a 90-day demolition
delay pending a public hearing at the Plan Commission, Development Services
and Planning Committee, and Village Board. If a COA for Demolition is denied,
a demolition permit will not be issued until the 90-day demolition delay has
expired, until the building is surveyed and documented for its historical or
architectural significance by a qualified historic preservation consultant, and
building information archived by the Village. Additionally, the 90-day delay
period provides an opportunity for a reasonable alternative to demolition. If an
alternative is determined by the Development Services Department, it will be
presented to the Board of Trustees for review and consideration, which then can
grant or modify the alternative proposal with conditions and deny the demolition,
or deny the alternative proposal and grant the Certificate of Appropriateness for
Demolition.
While Orland Park has strong measures for protecting its contributing and
landmark buildings, there are no effective mechanisms or demolition delay
Protecting this country's heritagefrom fishing villages to city neighborhoods, from barns to courthouses, from historic bridges to older schools, from urban parks
to rural landscapeswill help make America a better place... Preservation ensures that future generations will have a past to appreciate. Preservation is more than
just saving buildings, a house museum here and there. It's about creating and enhancing environments that support, inform, and enrich the lives of all Americans.
Preservation is revitalizing traditional downtowns, the "Main Street" businesses that are the lifeblood of small cities and rural communities. It is bringing new life to
the neighborhoods of great cities that have suffered from decline and neglect.
Richard Moe, Forum New
142
provisions in place for potentially contributing structures in Old Orland. The

Village has little authority to prevent tear downs of potentially historic buildings
or any building not listed as one of the 16 contributing structures. For noncontributing structures, a demolition permit can be applied for directly at the
Villages Development Services Department. Since many demolished buildings
are not considered contributing structures per the Land Development Code,
even though the majority of the properties were classified as contributing via the
2008 RAI survey. The contributing buildings identified in the 2008 RAI Survey
are valuable resources and should be reviewed prior to their demolition.
In some cities, historic preservation commissions or other government bodies
require a demolition review for all building over 40-50 years old. This could
be one approach to prevent the demolition of older and potentially historic
buildings. If a building is found to be potentially eligible for designation as an
individual landmark, a public hearing is scheduled. If a government commission
/ board determines the property is not eligible for designation, a building permit
is issued. However, if there is probable cause that the building may be eligible
for landmark designation, a demolition delay period is initiated to preserve the
property.
In the case of Old Orland, the 2008 RAI Survey has already classified which
buildings contribute to the Historic District and could be used to determine
which buildings require an additional demolition review. Nonetheless, a more
critical demolition review would provide time necessary to consider alternatives
to demolition, notify rounding residents, and hold a public hearing for public
comment. The delay period creates a window of opportunity for preservation.
Additional tools discussed in other recommendations in this chapter are also
important for preventing the loss of historic structures. These include establishing
preservation and rehabilitation incentives, maintenance requirements, and
preparing property owner notices of the need to repair.
3) UPDATE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW PROCESS
The Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review and approval process is
intended to protect against insensitive alterations to historic properties and that
new construction is compatible in design with the surrounding District. A COA
must be is obtained before building permits are issues and any proposed work
begins. While improvements to this process have strengthened and streamlined
the historic preservation review process in many ways, potentially historic
resources are left unprotected from insensitive alterations and redevelopment
pressures. The following updated process, shown to the right, reflects changes
and demolition measures discussed above.
4) UPDATE DESIGN GUIDELINES
Design review through the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application
process and design guidelines help ensure that building alternations and new
construction projects are compatible with the character of Old Orland. Old
Orland design guidelines are incorporated into the Villages Land Development
Code, which is available online and in the Historic Preservation Resident
Handbook provided by the Development Services Department. The design
guidelines are important in that they provide guidance to property owners
and businesses undertaking exterior changes to both contributing and noncontributing buildings within the Historic District.
Historic preservation clearly does much more than preserve bricks and mortar. It recognizes that our built history connects us in tangible ways with our past
and provides context for the places we occupy and the world we live in.It fuses art with craftsmanship, capacity for modern utility with embodied energy, and
progressive ideas for economic revitalization with traditional authenticity. Historic preservation is at the same time wonderfully egalitarian; all socioeconomic
classes in every corner of the nation have successfully utilized its principles to protect their heritage and revitalize their communities.
Craig Potts,Executive Director of the Kentucky Heritage Council and State Historic Preservation Officer
143
HEARING
COMMISSION

Minor Change (Landmarks)
TRUSTEES
REVIEW
Routine Maintenance
Demolition
CURRENT
REVIEW
PROCESS
FOR
NON-CONTRIBUTING
STRUCTURES
& NEW
CONSTRUCTION
REVIEW
PROCESS
FOR CONTRIBUTING
STRUCTURES
AND
LANDMARKS
REVIEW
PROCESS
FOR
NON-CONTRIBUTING
STRUCTURES
AND
NEW
CONSTRUCTION
PUBLIC
BOARDOF
OF
PUBLIC
PLANPLAN
COMMITTEE BOARD
COMMITTEE
HEARING
COMMISSION
TRUSTEES
HEARING
COMMISSION
TRUSTEES
Minor Change (Landmarks)
Minor Change (All Buildings)
New Construction
X
X
Routine Maintenance
Demolition
X
X
Routine Maintenance
Demolition
ADMINISTRATIVE
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
REVIEW
Not Required
X
PROPOSED REVIEW
PROCESS
FOR
NON-CONTRIBUTING
NEW
CONSTRUCTION
REVIEW
PROCESS
FOR
NON-CONTRIBUTINGSTRUCTURES
STRUCTURES &
AND
NEW
CONSTRUCTION
PUBLIC
HEARING
Major Change (Contributing Per 2008 RAI Survey)
PLAN
COMMISSION
X
COMMITTEE
BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
ADMINISTRATIVE
REVIEW
Major Change (All Other Buildings)
Minor Change (All Buildings)
X
Not Required
Routine Maintenance
Demolition (Contributing Per 2008 RAI Survey)
Demolition (All Other Buildings)
New Construction
Major Change: Substantial change

to the exterior appearance of a
structure, or any change to the
impervious coverage on the site,
including but not limited to: new
construction or additions, including
new decks visible from the rightof-way, porches, driveways etc.;
demolition of any contributing
structure or any part of a contributing
structure; relocation of buildings;
significant alteration/ removal of
historical or architectural features.
Minor Change: Changes that do not
have a substantial impact on the
exterior appearance of the structure
or site, including alteration, addition
or removal of exterior architectural
elements such as doors, windows,
fences, skylights, siding, exterior
stairs, roofs, tuck-pointing etc.
Routine Maintenance: Includes
repair or replacement of exterior
elements where there is no change in
the design, materials, or appearance
of the structure or property such
as gutters and downspouts, driveways etc. Landscape changes for
gardens, planting beds, new trees,
outdoor lighting for single family
homes etc. will be considered as
routine maintenance.
New Construction: The construction
of a freestanding structure on any
developable lot, including new
construction that involves additions
to existing buildings.
144
However, a comprehensive update to these guidelines is overdue. The existing

guidelines are confusing to property owners. They either include a number
of vague recommendations or loopholes and are silent on how to approach
building changes.
The updated design guidelines should be easily understandable and
straightforward. Additional diagrams and illustrations clarifying bulk regulations,
including setback requirements, best practices for preservation and sustainable
design, options for adaptive reuse and additions, and architectural features,
could be included. The guidelines could incorporate more solution-oriented
components, providing clear guidance and a range of creative options that
allow owners and developers to make informed preservation decisions.
Promoting specialized design solutions to make small buildings more suitable
for contemporary use and highlighting incentive programs will also benefit
preservation goals.
It would also be beneficial to prepare a set of design guidelines oriented to
property owners seeking to designate the potentially contributing structures.
This approach integrates address specific issues into the pre-designation
outreach process, help property owners understand appropriate historic
changes, rehabilitation, or restoration techniques, and could be effective in
cultivating public support for new designations.
Effective guidelines provide clear examples of appropriate and inappropriate
design treatments using local examples. In addition, they define the range of
flexibility that may be available for alterations and additions to properties. They
also can help to identify which features are significant and should be preserved,
and conversely, which features are less critical to the integrity of a historic
resource, thereby indicating where greater flexibility may be afforded.
5) ACTIVELY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT &
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ISSUES
Aging buildings & property maintenance have contributed to certain demolition
by neglect cases in Old Orland. Additionally, poorly maintained buildings harm
the integrity of historic structures and create a negative appearance of the
neighborhood. New options should be explored to eliminate demolitions by
neglect and address maintenance issues.
6) CONSIDER ADDITIONAL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES TO
IMPROVE THE OLD ORLAND HISTORIC DISTRICT
Additional regulations related to historic preservation should also be evaluated
and revised where needed to ensure they reflect preserve Old Orlands unique
character and contribute to its future vitality:
--------
Environmental Sustainability & Energy Efficiency

Building Codes Compatibility
Adaptive Reuse
Accessory Structures
Signage
Parking
Landscaping Requirements
The past is not the property of historians; it is a public possession. It belongs to anyone who is aware of it, and it grows by being shared. It sustains the whole
society, which always needs the identity that only the past can give. In the Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck pictures a group of Oklahoma farm wives loading their
goods into an old truck for the long trip to California. They did not have many possessions, but there was not room for what they had. These are not members
of a historical society. They had never seen a museum or a memorial. They were just people, asking a poignant and universal question: "How will we know it's us
without our past?" We do not choose between the past and the future; they are inseparable parts of the same river.
Carl Feiss, With Heritage So Rich
145
-- Form Based Codes

-- Other tear-down regulations related to subdivision requirements, lot
sizes, building heights, floor area ratios, and setbacks
7) CREATE A DOWNTOWN OVERLAY DISTRICT TAILORED TO LINKING
OLD ORLAND TO THE MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
An overlay zoning district, set forth in the Land Development Code, could
be created to implement many of the physical design and neighborhood
improvement recommendations in this chapter. It would identify special
provisions in addition to those in the underlying base zoning district (in this
case, the Village Center District and Old Orland Historic District). A downtown
overlay district would help protect historic or potentially contributing properties
in Old Orland, manage infill construction or redevelopment in targeted areas
between Old Orland and Main Street Downtown Districts, and promote higher
density transit-oriented development within walking distance of the 143rd Street
Metra Station. It is a tool for a enhancing the economic viability of all the entire
downtown area and provides regulatory guidance for creating a vibrant mixed
use district.
Additional Bulk Regulations & Building Design Guidelines. New
bulk regulations and guidelines will help ensure the compatibility of new
development and the rehabilitation of historic properties. This may include
specific standards for architectural styles, setbacks, parking, landscaping,
and other incremental improvements. It will also help to orient buildings
to the street, with parking located to the rear and incentivizing a shared
parking strategy.
Zoning & Land Use Flexibility. An overlay district can allow a greater
flexibility of allowable uses and development standards for a property,
with a goal of finding a use that is compatible with the historic character
of the property that will help ensure its continued productive use. Allowing
a different set of permitted land uses will support downtown development
activity and properly transition properties closer to the Main Street Downtown
District. An example of this is a professional office in a historic house in a
residential district where such an office would not normally be permitted.
Additional reductions in parking requirements could also be allowed.
Building & Height Density. Allow a higher density of uses within mixed-use
buildings along 143rd Street to take advance of the nearby Metra Station
and create a continuous streetwall between Old Orland and the Main Street
Downtown District.
Promote Improvements to the Public Realm. Guidelines and incentives
can encourage development projects to create pedestrian friendly streets
with a mix of civic uses and public open spaces as focal points of the district
Historic preservation has a proven track record of stimulating economic
development. It should be seen as an economic development strategy, with
various related financial programs and incentives encouraging growth and
investment. Many times the rehabilitation of historic properties and associated
incentives can be a catalyst for downtown revitalization. Incentive and grant
programs improve the look and feel of downtown areas, which in turn helps draw
people who spend their money in shops and restaurants. They are important in
off setting costs and can help revitalize historic areas by promoting community
pride, good design, and the productive use of buildings.
A building does not have to be an important work of architecture to become a first-rate landmark. Landmarks are not created by architects. They are fashioned by
those who encounter them after they are built. The essential feature of a landmark is not its design, but the place it holds in a citys memory.
HerbertMuschamp
146
5) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Provide incentives for historic preservation while fostering a healthy local economy
To support economic development and reinvestment in Old Orland, the
Village can revise and enhance existing incentives for historic preservation
as well as develop new incentive and financing programs. The following
options can be considered to support historic preservation, adaptive reuse,
appropriate new development, and public realm improvement opportunities.
STRATEGIES
1) REVISE THE APPEARANCE IMPROVEMENT GRANT (AIG) PROGRAM
Orland Parks Appearance Improvement Grant (AIG) provides financial
assistance to property owners and business tenants for improving the
exterior appearance of all commercial and historic properties.2 Eligible
faade improvements under the AIG program include improvements visible
from the public right-of-way, such as for awnings, doors, windows, signage,
screening rooftop mechanical equipment, storefront architectural features,
removal of inappropriate materials, restoration of historic architectural
features. Landscaping improvements are allowed on a limited basis.
Grant funds can be used for architectural design fees, contractor fees, or
procurement of materials and construction. The grant will match 50% of
the cost of work up to a maximum of $20,000 per project, with a minimum
investment of $1,000.
With modifications, the AIG program could be an important financial tool
in helping with the preservation and maintenance of historic properties in
Old Orland in the future. This program has the potential to improve the
appearance of business areas on 143rd Street, Union Avenue, and Beacon
147
Avenue. With financial support, property owners and businesses could reinvest in Old Orland, changing the appearance of the Historic District and
transform it into a destination for community residents and visitors.
As noted in the previous chapter, there are a number of issues with how
the current program is set up and how it benefits Old Orland. AIG funding
is largely distributed to large commercial projects outside of Old Orland.
Within the past few years, almost no projects have utilized AIG funding for
updating commercial facades or rehabilitating historic structures in Old
Orland. The following initiatives will improve planning efforts in Old Orland:
Expand the List of Historic Buildings Eligible for AIG Funding. Only
the 16 contributing historic properties in Old Orland are eligible for
rehabilitation assistance. As noted in the previous chapter, there are
a number of non-contributing structures in the Historic District which
were classified under the 2008 RAI Survey as contributing, but are not
recognized by the Villages Land Development Code. These buildings
are valuable to the District and contribute to its historic character, but
are most vulnerable to demolition. AIG funding for historic rehabilitation
and faade improvements should be extended to these buildings where
appropriate with the condition that these buildings are designated as
landmarks. The extension of funding to potentially contributing structures
will help preserve valuable buildings and promote preservation and
restoration efforts. Additionally, the extension of the AIG program to
potentially contributing structures that will be landmarked will address
long-standing concerns about property maintenance and buildings
falling into disrepair.
Expand the Scope of Work Allowed Under the AIG Program. AIG funding
is rarely granted for changes to the site, landscaping, or streetscape
improvements. However, these are the issues directly contributing to
the negative appearance of certain areas of the District. Some of Old
Orlands businesses along 143rd Street, Beacon Avenue, and Union
Avenue could benefit from enhancements not supported under the
AIG program that improve the public realm. The AIG program should
create a separate category that funds streetscape improvements, new
landscaping, screening surface parking lots, constructing plazas and
outdoor patios, as well as implementing sustainable green infrastructure.
Reimbursements for streetscape revitalization would acts as another
tool for improving urban design.
Another option to consider is utilizing funding for the adaptive reuse of
historic and old buildings. There are several barriers to adaptive reusing
older buildings, particularly smallscale residential or commercial
buildings. These types of buildings contribute to Old Orlands character,
but issues with small site or building sizes, ADA accessibility, lack of
flexibility in preservation criteria that may prevent amenities to promote
reuse, restrictive parking requirement, and building or zoning code
requirements make it difficult to meet given building size, design, or
layout. Thus, these types of underutilized buildings are generally
demolished despite their potential to be a part of a meaningful and
distinctive urban environment. Additionally, improvements focused on

sustainability and energy efficiency are currently not supported under
the program. Creative incentives are needed for redevelopment of
these historic and older buildings that do not impose insurmountable
restrictions and hinder reuse. Whether part of the existing AIG program
or a new program, strategic incentives should be identified to address
market conditions and barriers to redevelopment.
A design assistance program could also be explored to fund an initial
consultation with a design professional with experience in historic
preservation.
Market the AIG program to Property Owners and Businesses.
Property owners and businesses in Old Orland may not be utilizing the
funding program because the program has not been widely marketed
or because they are not aware of the program. The best incentives are
the ones property owners and businesses know about. The AIG cannot
effectively help preserve, rehab, or maintain historic properties in Old
Orland as well as improve the appearance of commercial areas without
these important stakeholders knowing about the program. Additional
efforts need to be made to ensure the program is marketed to property
owners and businesses in Old Orland.
Historic preservation makes sense in large measure because historic preservation makes dollars and cents, but it also saves dollars and cents. Historic preservation
is a rational and effective economic response to overconsumption. To make a new brick today to build a building on a site where there is already a building standing
steals from two generations. It steals from the generation that built the brick originally by throwing away their asset before its work is done, and it steals from a
future generation by using increasingly scarce natural resources today that should have been saved for tomorrow.
Don Rykema, The Economics of Rehabilitation
148
2) INVESTIGATE NEW PROGRAMS & FINANCING MECHANISMS

The following mechanisms could also be considered to help revitalize Old
Orland, preserve historic and old buildings, and encourage new development.
Adopting one or a handful of the financing tools below would support capital
improvements, close project finance gaps, and complement other proposed
improvements described in this chapter. Through a combination of funding
mechanisms, Old Orland could have a pool of resources to enhance its
sense of place, overall attractiveness of its storefronts and streetscape, and
business vitality. In addition to helping current businesses, these tools could
help incentivize additional retail development in the District and nearby.
New projects and economic development initiatives will include both
redevelopment and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. Achieving a
balance between new developments and their consequent revenues without
sacrificing those buildings or properties that would diminish Old Orlands
character and identity will require communication and cooperation
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. TIF districts can help local
governments finance both public and private development projects
using future increases in property tax revenue. When a TIF district is
established, the total assessed value of all properties within the district
is fixed for the duration of the TIFs lifespan. The base amount of tax
revenue generated over aperiod of time continues to be dispersed to
the various taxing bodies and additional revenue collected above the
base amount is can be used for property acquisition, rehabilitation or
renovation of existing public or private buildings, demolition and site
preparation, public infrastructure improvements, job training, financing
costs, planning studies, professional services, demolition and site
preparation, among other costs. A TIF district is advantageous as
it leverages private investment with pledged future tax increment
increases.
A new TIF District could be created encompassing Old Orland. The
area should be studied further to determine whether the Historic District
would be eligible and it is appropriate to establish a new TIF district to
support reinvestment. There is an established TIF District adjacent to
Old Orland, around the Main Street Downtown District.
149
Special Service Area (SSA). A SSA, also known as a BID, is local tax
district that are largely used in commercial districts to fund a wide range
of special services or physical improvements. A small property tax
levy is placed over a contiguous, defined area to assist with financing
enhanced services or programs in addition to those currently provided
through a local government. One benefit of establishing a SSA is that
local governments can establish special tax district areas without
incurring debt or levying a tax on the entire municipality. Additionally,
the districts can ensure funds are locally managed and distributed only
within the boundaries of the SSA. Projects commonly funded through
SSAs include:
-- Infrastructure improvements, maintenance and beautification
efforts. This may include streetscaping, landscaping, lighting,
signage, benches, trash receptacles, sidewalk paving, street,
storm sewers, and parking lot improvements
-- Land and building improvements, with redevelopment, storefront
improvement grants or loans
-- Downtown marketing, promotion, and advertising
-- Special and promotional events
-- Business attraction and retention activities
-- Transportation initiatives, such as a downtown trolley or bicycle

improvements
-- Security Improvements
-- Parking Enforcement Services
-- Street cleaning or snow removal services

-- Maintenance staffing and activities
It will be important to inform the community of various financial incentives

already available and crafting a new package of locally offered programs
and financing mechanisms. Successful historic preservation programs have
also taken advantage of federal and state grants, Federal Rehabilitation
Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, State Property Tax Assessment
Freeze Program, Cook County Class L Incentive Programs, Preservation

Easements, low interest loans, and specific grants. Property owners and
other stakeholders should also be encouraged and assisted with securing
State and Federal tax credits or other outside grants. Additional programs
utilized by other local municipalities include: Building permit fee waivers for
historic properties, revolving loans, business retention and enhancement
programs, and incentives for occupying empty or underutilized commercial
buildings.
Improving the character of Old Orland through new and improved financial
incentive programs will draw shoppers, restaurant patrons, office users,
and tourists to the District. These programs could also encourage property
owners to maintain and preserve properties in the District and provide
an opportunity to connect community goals with business goals. In the
end, economic development can be tied to historic preservation, with
small, incremental projects enhancing and unifying the appearance and
connectivity of Old Orland and larger improvements further stimulating
private investment and revitalization.
The good news is historic preservation is good for the economy. In the last fifteen years dozens of studies have been conducted throughout the United States, by
different analysts, using different methodologies. But the results of those studies are remarkably consistent historic preservation is good for the local economy.
From this large and growing body of research, the positive impact of historic preservation on the economy has been documented in six broad areas: 1) jobs, 2)
property values, 3) heritage tourism, 4) environmental impact, 5) social impact, and 6) downtown revitalization.

PlaceEconomics, in Measuring the Economics of Preservation: Recent Findings , 2011
150
6) PARTNERSHIPS & OUTREACH

Actively engage the community in historic preservation efforts and create partnerships to implement improvements
Preservation is a community-wide endeavor. Revitalizing and preserving Old
Orland will require a high level of commitment and partnerships between Village
staff and officials, residents, business owners, developers, preservation and
neighborhood organizations, and other local stakeholders. Even with partners
and funding, preservation efforts will not succeed if the community is not
sufficiently engaged and invested. Outreach and education programs will also
be important to supporting historic preservation efforts and engaging new
partners in collaborative programs. Helping property owners, businesses, and
residents learn how to maintain their historic properties as active, viable assets
is key to a successful preservation program.
Community organizations are strong advocates for historic preservation. When
Old Orland was first established, historic preservation efforts were supported
by a range of advocates and new preservation organizations were formed.
Unfortunately, many of the leaders and organizations involved with past
preservation or improvement efforts in Old Orland are no longer involved in
the planning or implementation of projects. Today, residents and organizations
are generally not engaged in preservation activities or planning efforts. Public
awareness levels and opinions vary widely with respect to historic preservation
Orland Park, and only a small number of citizens are involved in the issue Village
staff typically acts as a coordinator for many programs and initiatives related to
Old Orland. Existing programs do not identify or provide a framework to involve
groups and organizations that could assist with historic preservation or planning
efforts. However, advocacy, planning, and implementation efforts should be
shared across a broad base of community organizations, residents, property
owners, and Village departments.
Community engagement and the involvement of a variety of different
stakeholders will be key to providing public input, expertise, and perspectives,
151
as well as to gain community, political, or nancialsupport for future projects.

Implementation will require that partnerships be built or re-built. Overlooking
collaborative opportunities for Old Orland will detract from its future. The
following strategies will help support new partnerships, establish a framework
for coordinating efforts and implementing projects in Old Orland, and educate
the public on a variety of topics related to historic preservation.
STRATEGIES
1) ESTABLISH A DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON
IMPLEMENTING PLANNING EFFORTS IN BOTH THE OLD ORLAND
DISTRICT AND MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
A newly formed downtown organization would undertake a variety of activities
that advance planning efforts for both Old Orland and the Main Street Downtown
District in a cohesive and coordinated manner. It would form an alliance
between groups not typically involved or engaged in historic preservation or
downtown planning. In coordination with the Village of Orland Park, different
stakeholders could work in tandem to progress the goals of both Districts. As an
independent, non-profit, the downtown organization could consist of business
owners, property owners, residents, realtors, Chamber of Commerce, Village
officials and staff, church members, representatives of other local organizations,
among others.
A new downtown organization could be responsible for:
-- Implementing plans and improvements in Old Orland and the Main
Street Downtown District
-- Event, promotion, marketing, and branding planning and programming
-- Increasing public awareness among local parties about the Main Street
Downtown District, Old Orland, and preservation
-- Developing new educational and outreach programs
-- Assisting with business recruitment and retention
-- Recommending new policies, grants or incentives programs, or other
tools that address improving and preserving the entire downtown area
-- Reviewing existing ordinances and policies for their effectiveness and
impact on the neighborhoods
-- Promoting goals and initiatives that support historic preservation.
-- Initiating and facilitating landmark designations in Old Orland
It could be associated with an established Special Service Area, Business
Improvement District, or other established financing mechanism. Nonetheless,
a new downtown organization would help engage a variety of partners in
a coordinated effort that ties Old Orland into Main Street Downtown District
planning and progresses goals for both Districts. A new partnership will be the
initial step in signaling the Old Orland is evolving into a dynamic, inviting place
to visit, shop, work, and live.
2) CREATE AN OLD ORLAND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
In preparing for the creation of a new downtown organization that focuses on
both Old Orland and the Main Street Downtown District, existing businesses in
Old Orland should be encouraged to create an active business association that
seeks organize, market and promote Old Orlands commercial areas. A business
coalition would help promote the district through marketing and special events,
create and implement plans within the district, encourage partnerships with
other local businesses, organizations, Village staff, and other stakeholders. The
future business association could be integrated into a newly formed downtown
organization while maintaining a narrower focus on Old Orlands business
leaders and community.
3) ENCOURAGE PARTNERSHIPS IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION

It seems that past partnerships between local preservation groups such as
the Old Orland Heritage Foundation and the Orland Historical Society have
weakened over time. Business owners and residents are also generally unaware
of Village planning initiatives in Old Orland. Renewing an on-going dialogue with
these preservation partners and local stakeholders will help revive a working
relationship, advance neighborhood-level planning, and create new strategies
for the preservation and promotion of Old Orlands architectural and historical
features that are important to its identity.
New partnerships should also be sought to leverage the capabilities of residents
and organizations to progress historic preservation goals in Old Orland. Goals
for historic preservation often overlap with other groups and where this occurs,
there is an opportunity to create new partnerships with groups that have not
been active in the past. Outreach to local community organizations whose goals
may coincide with those for historic preservation could result in new, valuable
advocacy partners. Seeking out partnerships with groups representing different
points of views on issues can initiate both education and partnership opportunities.
Future partners may include local school districts, colleges, businesses, the
Chamber of Commerce, service organizations, real estate representatives, local
governments, sustainability-oriented organizations, developers, contractors,
and others. Building new and fostering old relationships will be beneficial in
raising awareness of historic preservation, fostering community engagement,
and designating significant historic resources in the future.
4) FOSTER A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
AND ORLAND PARKS HISTORY
Orland Parks history is reflected in Old Orlands built form, yet many residents
and visitors are not aware of the Historic Districts importance and contributions
to the growth of the suburb. In recent years, it appears that historic preservation
in Orland Park has tended to be regarded by the general public and the Village
as the focus of a few dedicated individuals rather than a topic of broader
interest. At large, there is no formal education strategy and existing educational
152
resources do not provide a strong basis of awareness to promote preservation

benefits and best practices.
Beyond a lack of awareness of the Historic District review process and applicable
regulations, there may be a lack of public understanding of the value of the
historic resources themselves. Outreach strategies should provide information
on the economic, environmental and cultural benefits of preservation, address
common misconceptions. It is critical that the community as a whole see the
value of Old Orlands historic resources why would anyone care about the
process if they do not care about the things to be protected and enhanced?
Education and outreach efforts help ensure that the importance of historic
preservation is well understood within the community. Raising awareness
about the history of Orland Park, Old Orlands important historic resources, and
providing opportunities for the public to participate in activities will engender
support for preservation. While there are many residents who have valued
Old Orlands historic resources over the years, ensuring that a wider range of
residents know about and understand the Villages historic character should be
an ongoing task. To achieve this, the following efforts could be pursued:
Revive the Historic Preservation Awards Program. The renewed
program, which would be administered by the Village annually, will once
again recognize outstanding local preservation achievements. It will
highlight restoration, adaptive reuse, new additions, and new construction
that exhibit excellent design, craftsmanship, and compatibility in Old Orland.
Honoring projects featuring historic preservation is a way to bring greater
exposure to such efforts and offer examples for other property owners to
emulate.
Revive the Historic Marker Program. Installing new historic plaques on
important buildings will help promote a sense of history and ownership of
historic preservation. The Village has generally paid for the fabrication and
installation of past historic markers in Old Orland. While the Village should
continue to install new markers, it can more aggressively pursue marketing
the program at cost to residents or business owners who do not want to be
placed on a wait list pending funding. Using unified signage designs, property
153
owners would be able to more quickly install an interpretive historic marker

on their building. The program could also be improved by creating different
types of interpretive panels, exhibits, and public installations throughout the
district that focus on the broader history of the neighborhood and Village
rather than just individual buildings.
Capitalize on Old Orlands Existing Museums. The Humphrey House
Museum, on 144th Place, and Orland Park History Museum, which recently
opened in the former Village Hall site on Beacon Avenue, are adjacent
to each other. A remarkable amount of history and information has been
gathered to support both of these museums. However, both museums
have limited hours, funding, staffing, and Internet presence. Information
on and offered by the Humphrey House Museum and Orland Park History
Museum is not widely available to the public, even though they represent an
important pathway to understanding local heritage. With additional support
and investment, both museums could become important community assets
that help make local history more accessible to the public.
Additional action steps that aim to educate the public and increase awareness
of Old Orlands history include:
-- Preparing small articles on historic properties and the history of Orland
Park in local newspapers and publications
-- Organizing a speaker series on the Villages preservation program and
history
-- Sponsoring open houses with community organizations
-- Providing new and updated information on the Villages historic
preservation website. This includes prominently featuring new illustrated
design guidelines that are easily accessible on the website
-- Developing new walking tour brochures or a mobile app with different
themes
-- Hosting walking tours
-- Meeting with Chamber of Commerce, businesses, or other organizations
to identify opportunities for historic property promotion
Specific efforts could include:
-- Incorporating preservation education into the local school districts. This

could include developing curriculum as well as for use in extracurricular
activities.
-- Holding Training Workshops. This would involve developing and

conducting workshop oriented to the needs of property owners and
residents to display and teach appropriate preservation techniques.
Information could range from basic maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation
techniques to specialized topics, such as increasing energy efficiency in
historic properties. Available incentives and the effective use of historic
preservation funding in local projects can also be highlighted.
-- Staffing local events, such as the Farmers Market to promote historic

preservation
5) PROVIDE INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO
PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
ABOUT ALL ASPECTS AND IMPLICATIONS OF HISTORIC DISTRICT
DESIGNATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
-- Distributing Updated Design Guidelines. How-to materials and brochures

can illustrate examples of alterations and new construction project that
adhere to design guidelines.
-- Outreach to Property Owners of Potentially Contributing Structures.
Outreach would entail creating a dialogue about the benefits and
responsibilities of landmark designation and would encourage additional
landmark designations in Old Orland where appropriate.
Education of people directly impacted by historic designation is also important

in preserving Old Orlands historic resources. In addition to building a general
appreciation of the Villages historic resources, enhancing practical skills and an
understanding of the historic preservation review process in Old Orland among
property owners, businesses, and Village departments is essential.
Helping property owners learn how to maintain their historic properties as
active, viable assets is key to a successful preservation program. Property
owners and businesses in particular should be aware of the historic preservation
programs, Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review process, regulations
applicable to their properties, design guidelines, landmark designation, and
incentive programs that are available to them. An understanding of the policies
and programs helps to prevent inappropriate alternations prior to a COA review,
provide compatible design alternatives, reduce frustration and misconceptions
during the process, and inform them about historic preservation objectives.
Educating property owners and residents about historic preservation will
require an ongoing, concerted effort, but will help to encourage a strong sense
of stewardship and pride. Businesses, property owners, and residents should
also be engaged in an open dialogue about common issues and concerns
within Old Orland, collaborating on streamlining the design review process,
and implementing improvements to the program to promote new partnerships.
ENDNOTES
McGuire, Igleski & Associates, Village of Orland Park Residential Area Intensive
Survey, 29.
2
Village of Orland Park, Appearance Improvement Grant. Village of Orland Park,
http://il-orlandpark2.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/1762
1
154
155
CONCLUSION
Old Orland serves as a tangible representation of the Villages
development and the growth of the suburb. Today, there are
ample opportunities to revive the Historic District. Orland Parks
entire up-and-coming downtown area has the ability to be
known for a place that combines both the old and the new. The
recommendations offered in this document aim to create a vibrant
downtown through a hybrid of preservation and redevelopment.
Building on Old Orlands existing assets will bolster the Districts
historic character and businesses viability as well as make it a
more desirable place to live and visit.
Within improved connectivity and a strong framework, Old
Orlands existing historic character and businesses will be
reinforced by the transformation of the Main Street Downtown.
Old Orlands charming historic character can be strengthened
with new development that brings more shops and residents to
the heart of Downtown. Mixed-use projects will bring a renewed
combination of residential, restaurant, entertainment, and
recreational activities along 143rd Street. A strong commercial
base with well-designed buildings and street walls as well as

a unique system of connected pedestrian linkages, trails, and
parks will aim both the preservation and future stability of the
district.
The document buildings upon the Villages efforts over the
past decades and aims to help guide future preservation
programming and decisions throughout the next decades. The
recommendations set out in this document present a hopeful
vision for Old Orland. The question remains if this vision can
translate into reality.
Ultimately, Old Orlands future will require a balanced approach.
Implementation must be a combined, sustained effort between
Village staff and officials, local organizations, residents,
businesses, and developers. Nonetheless, efforts show be
proactive rather than reaction. A renewed view should be
adopted that focuses on can historic preservation help shape
Orland Parks future.
156
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A Strategic Plan For Old Orland: Planning For A Historic District in The Chicago Surburbs

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A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OLD ORLAND

Planning for a Historic District in the Chicago Suburbs