Water Leak At Tinley Park Mental Health Center Sparks Concern

TINLEY PARK, IL — The village of Tinley Park said it has become aware of a "substantial leak" within a quarter-mile-stretch of the water main at the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center property Thursday, according to a news release from the village.

According to the village, the property — off 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue — has spilled roughly 2.1 million gallons of water into the storm sewer and into Midlothian Creek along Harlem Avenue. This amount equates to more than $17,000 in water waste, the village said.

Tinley Park recently cited the state of Illinois, which owns the land, for numerous code violations, including hazardous toxins such as asbestos found on site. State officials responded that they were exempt from these violations, according to the village.

"We’re incredibly concerned about the immediate health and safety risk this is posing," Mayor Michael Glotz said. "There’s currently no means of fire suppression in the area of the main break should any disaster occur, and we’re concerned about the potential contamination this may cause to the nearby households that utilize well water."

Related: Asbestos Found Throughout Tinley Park Mental Health Center Site | Tinley Park, IL Patch

The facility closed in 2012 and was the last of 13 state facilities of its kind built. An inspection of the mental health center took place in early 2020, revealing numerous environmental concerns.

"I’ve sent 10 emails since late April to our State Senator related to the Tinley Park Mental Health Center, but so far I’ve heard nothing," Glotz said. "I’m outraged at their lack of response and action. My first and most important duty is to protect the citizens of Tinley Park from hazards such as this, and I expect the state to comply."

In February, state Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena) introduced new legislation that, if passed, would force the sale of the Tinley Park Mental Health Center to Tinley Park. The House bill (HB 3011) authorizes the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to transfer the property to the village at a fair market value for possible economic development.

A plan in 2019 for the state to sell the property to the village, which would then sell it to a group that would clean it up and construct a horse track and casino, went awry. Those plans were nixed in October 2019, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker's administration team informed the village it opted not to sell the property at the time.

In June 2020, the state allocated nearly $17 million in funds for projects and improvements around Tinley Park. The mental health center was the largest project, receiving $15 million in the form of a grant to support the costs associated with environmental cleanup.

The facility opened in 1959, and Tinley Park annexed the property in 1967. The site was designed by Skidmore, Owens & Merrill and has two buildings: Maple Hall, built in 1967, and Spruce Hall, built in 1965.

Related:

Legislation Introduced To Sell Tinley Park Mental Health Center | Tinley Park, IL Patch

Mental Health Center Site Talks Stall Amid Coronavirus Pandemic | Tinley Park, IL Patch