The village of Orland Park has used eminent domain to acquire the former El Cortez property at 171st and Wolf Road and plans to use part of it to alleviate flooding at the Marley Creek basin while another part will be used for a passive recreation area.
The board paid $290,000 for the property, which is the price the property was appraised at in June.
El Cortez shut down the Orland Park location in June 2010 a few months after it opened a new restaurant on 191st Street in neighboring Mokena.
Village Manager George Koczwara called the building “an eyesore and a safety issue.”
“The only real use for that property is to help flooding in that area,” he said.
In December 2023, the former owner purchased the property at a Cook County Annual Tax Sale and subsequently contacted village staff regarding plans to improve the property and return it to a viable commercial use.
The owner was informed the entire property is within a Regulatory Floodway with requirements that need to be met at the federal, state and local levels in regard to the level of investment that can be made to the structure. Staff worked with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency regarding eligible costs, procedures to follow and forms to be completed.
The significant level of investment to make the building suitable for occupancy is deemed a “substantial improvement,” which includes the requirement to make flood-resistant improvements to the existing building to protect it from future storm events up to the Flood Protection Elevation, which is 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation,” officials said.
On September 2, 2025, the subject site was included in the discussion of case 2025-0702, including the annexation and flood mitigation plans for the surrounding south Wolf Road area.
At that meeting, the village secured a long-term solution for 17101 Wolf Road by purchasing the site and preventing an unwanted auto repossession lot from opening.
Village officials said they would use the property to build a stormwater basin that will help reduce flooding in nearby neighborhoods.
As part of that plan, the village began negotiating to buy the former El Cortez property at 17171 Wolf Road. The village intended to combine this parcel and a village-owned parcel at 17151 Wolf Road so they could be restored with native plantings to support stormwater improvements.
The village said the Engineering Department was seeking proposals for engineering work across all three sites, including demolition.
The owner of the El Cortez property and the village had been unable to come to terms on the purchase of the property. As a result, on September 15, the village board passed an ordinance granting the use of eminent domain to acquire the property.
The village continued to negotiate with the owner and they finally came to terms on the purchase of the property.