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Community Email

May 24, 2018

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'For the Record' with Dave Niemeyer

Now that the snow is a distant memory and the trees are green again, our thoughts here at the Village turn to summer and all the many projects we have going on downtown aimed at giving the area a much-needed shot in the arm.

The Village recently created the New Bremen Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, an exciting new source of revenue that’s bounded by 172nd Street on the north, 179th Street on the south, 67th Avenue and 66th Court on the east, and 69th Avenue on the west. At about 89 acres, the new TIF district consists of 275 tax parcels and includes commercial, residential, government/institutional, mixed-use, railroad and right-of-way land uses.

The New Bremen TIF replaces the Main Street South TIF, which was created in 2003 and was set to expire in 2026 after its 23-year life cycle had run its course. Due in part to the 2007 recession, which greatly hindered development in the area, the remaining eight years left on the TIF were insufficient to allow any meaningful development to occur. In response, the Village decided to create the New Bremen TIF in order to give a new set of 23 incremental tax years to support redevelopment and infrastructure improvements in Downtown Tinley, allowing the Village to utilize this valuable economic tool to its full potential.

The Village worked closely with our local school districts and park district in planning this TIF, and they were all supportive of it. It’s next to impossible for a TIF to be successful without this support, and we’re grateful to the schools and parks for their cooperation.

It’s important to note that, without this TIF, several important downtown projects wouldn’t be possible. Among these are the new Banging Gavel, whose architects are finalizing their plans for submittal this summer, as well as several mixed-use, upscale residential developments that are expected to go to the Plan Commission soon.

Residential developments are the key to a successful downtown. This fact is evidenced by a recent study conducted by the Lakota Group on behalf of Tinley Park as part of our Harmony Square downtown plaza development. Lakota looked at other suburban downtowns that are successful such as Glenview, Elmhurst and Arlington Heights that have significantly higher residential and business populations than Tinley Park and found that residential housing is one of the reasons for their success.

Continue reading this story on the Village website.

Memorial Day Ceremony this Monday

The Village of Tinley Park and the Tinley Park Veterans Commission will host the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28 at the Gen. Patrick E. Rea Veterans Plaza, 18001 S. 80th Ave., Tinley Park.

The ceremony will include patriotic music by the Victor J. Andrew High School band, short speeches, a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute.

“We take this occasion not only to express how grateful we are to the brave men and women who risked their lives so that we might enjoy our freedom, but also to express our gratitude to their families who suffered from their loss,” Tinley Park Veterans Commission Chairperson Wiley Roberts said. “Please join the Village in honoring those who have died serving our country.”

Please note that Village Hall will be closed all day Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Village Hall will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Lori Mason announces retirement

Tinley Park Deputy Chief Lori Mason recently announced her retirement from the Tinley Park Police Department. Her last day on duty will be June 15.

“Lori is a fine officer who will be sorely missed,” Interim Police Chief Charles Faricelli said. “We wish her only the very best in her retirement and future plans.”

Mason began her career in 1981 as a dispatcher for the Tinley Park Police Department. After moving to the Orland Park Police Department in 1987 to work as a dispatcher, she returned to Tinley Park as a police officer in December of that same year.

“Working for the police department I was able to enjoy my career as a street officer, an investigator, a task force officer for customs, a street sergeant, an administrative sergeant in charge of special events and finishing with the honor of being deputy chief, overseeing some of the best men and women I know working as police officers,” Mason said.

Watering restrictions in effect

From now to Sept. 15, residents are asked to please limit their outdoor water use from 7 to 11 a.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. on odd or even dates based on their address numbers.

Should weather conditions warrant implementation of the next levels of water conservation measures, Tinley Park residents will be notified with color-coded signs that will be placed in the Village.

For more information on water conservation and how to keep grass green during the upcoming hot summer months, visit www.tinleypark.org/conservation.

Mangin resigns at Village trustee

Trustee Michael Mangin resigned May 21 from the Tinley Park Village Board. He was appointed to the Village Board in May 2017 and served as Chairperson of the Finance Committee.

“I appreciate the opportunity you have given me as your trustee over the last year, and (I) enjoyed my time interacting with staff and committees,” Mangin said in his resignation letter to Mayor Jacob Vandenberg. “Throughout my time here I realized how professional and hard-working the overall staff of the Village was, and I enjoyed being a part of the success. I am proud of the many accomplishments all of you have worked on daily to achieve.”

Mangin and his wife, Maureen have been residents of Tinley Park since the early 1990s and are the parents of five children, including Caitlin, Erin, Ashley, Colin and Michael, all graduates of Andrew High School.

"Tinley Park is loosing a great leader who worked hard day in and day out," Vandenberg said. "He was always prepared for all Village business and led the board to execute strong fiscal policy as well as fiscal savings for the taxpayers. Although this is terribly unfortunate, this will not distract our common goal to provide excellent services and resources for all Tinley Park residents and the business community."

Mangin graduated from Illinois Benedictine University in 1980 and owned his own mortgage company, Oak Lawn Financial for 17 years before selling it to Marquette Bank. He served as Executive Vice President at Marquette Bank for 21 years, managing the retail lending, sales, collections, multifamily lending and servicing areas of the bank before retiring in March 2016.

Village begins offering 'Playbook' grants

The Village of Tinley Park is committed to assuring the long-term viability of the community, assisting with business start-ups and supporting tourism. One of the key goals is to develop a signature downtown where residents can live, shop, dine and be entertained.

To support this effort, in May 2018 the Village began offering the Oak Park Playbook – a series of five grants specifically designed to encourage Downtown Tinley business owners to invest in and improve their respective properties.

Available programs include the Facade Improvement Grant, the Code Compliance Grant, the Sign Grant, the Retail Grant and the Landscape Grant.

Interested Downtown Tinley business and property owners can download the grant application for the particular program in which they're interested by visiting TinleyPark.org/Playbook. After an initial staff review, inspectors will examine the building in question and create a comprehensive list of required improvements in order for the applicant to receive the grant.

The application packet will then be reviewed by the Economic and Commercial Commission (ECC). Following ECC review, the application will be sent to the Economic Development and Marketing Committee for approval, then to the Village Board for final approval.

The Village has budgeted funds for these new programs that will support 10 or more projects annually, and one site can use as much as $70,000 in grants per year.

Now showing on Tinley TV

Tinley Park Television broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Comcast Channel 4 and U-Verse Channel 99. Tune in today, or watch select programs on your own time by visiting the Village's YouTube Channel.