Station gives Orland Park peek at new downtown

May 10, 2007

This story was sent to you by: jonathan st.thomas

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By Carmen Greco Jr

Special to the Tribune

May 10, 2007

The vision for a downtown in Orland Park has been getting clearer since

commuters began boarding Chicago-bound trains at the village's new commuter rail

station more than a month ago.

With its old-fashioned clock tower jutting above the horizon, the station will

provide the catalyst for a pedestrian-friendly town center that the sprawling,

traffic-choked suburb has never really had, officials said.

" Orland Park is a newer suburb and we didn't have a traditional downtown built

around the trains like Hinsdale or Downers Grove, so now we're going to build

one, " said Bob Sullivan, village planning director.

Dubbed the Main Street Triangle because of its location between Southwest

Highway, La Grange Road and 143rd Street, the center, to be built by developer

Related Midwest, will include residential, retail and recreational amenities on

19 acres near a forest preserve.

Village officials and representatives of the developer released new details this

week as they began to set construction guidelines for the multimillion dollar

project.

While an estimated 500 residents would live in 250 condominium units built

within the Triangle, officials want to make it a destination point for all

village residents.

To do that, a pedestrian bridge eventually will span La Grange just north of

143rd, connecting many residents on the east side of the village to the Triangle

on the west.

" It will allow everyone on the east side to walk on the bridge and get to the

train station without getting in their cars, so that's a nice feature, " Sullivan

said.

The Triangle also will include bicycle paths and promenades linking to existing

bike and walking trails.

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