Village of Orland Park officials are going to take a deep dive into the possibility of building a performing arts center.
In the coming weeks, the village will be hiring a firm to do a comprehensive look at all of the factors to see if they can make this project a go.
While it sounds like a great idea on paper, Mayor James Dodge does not want to jump into anything without the village doing its due diligence.
Studies and public input will be a big part of the data collected.
“This will become the business plan if it makes sense,” Dodge said at the Feb. 16 Committee of the Whole meeting. “Having an outside firm with this kind of expertise is going to be fairly important.
“I think if we do this well, and depending on where it goes, it could be a nice adjunct to our economic development in the area. I think it can be a great amenity and we really need this diagnostic to see what we’re getting into.”
The arts scene in Orland Park has been scattershot lately as buildings that housed some local programs and classes have been torn down and there is a sentiment that a new centralized center can help the arts thrive again.
“It can be of use to other activities as well,” Trustee Joanna Leafblad said. “There have been two buildings that have been knocked down and we have dance classes in the village and music programming in the village – so just to have the availability of a space where all of those programs can happen in addition to others can provide a wonderful place explore cultural arts and have programs in Orland once again.”
Leafblad, who has worked with Orland Park’s Improv Team in the past, also said the center could have an exhibition hall in the lobby for artwork and other displays.
Trustee John Lawler said he had daughters who played sports and were involved in the theater. He said that while the village is doing a great job with athletic fields, the arts scene can use a jolt.
He said that in his research, he found that 39% of the kids across the nation play sports and 61% do not.
“What are those 61% doing?” he said. “Are they in bands? Are they in theater?
“Right now, we’re trying to piecemeal them into other places to fit them in to try and grow our programs.”
Lawler said he met with 50 to 100 kids about the area arts scene and has received letters from them asking for the village’s support.
He hopes to give it to them.
“I always found it sad that we had to leave Orland Park – a town of 60,000 people – to go to a smaller town to join in on theater programs because we didn’t have a place to perform.”
There could be other uses for the facility than just local groups performing there.
“It will have an economic impact,” Lawler said. “Think of how many different uses we can have for entertainment. Downtown (Chicago) is not always an option for everybody.
“It would be nice to have something nice in our own community to go and enjoy, whether it be a comedian, a small music show, travelling theater, local theater, renting it out to someone who wanted to do some sort of a discussion or debate and having exposition space for an art show or some other things.”
Trustee Michael Milani said that the studies should also include the use of Centennial Park West as an option for local arts.