The Village of Orland Park is moving forward with a major revision to its downtown master plan, positioning an expanded University of Chicago Medicine campus and a proposed performing arts center to become the core anchors of the Main Street Triangle.
The Village Board is reviewing a newly updated redevelopment agreement with master developer Edwards Realty Group to build out the remaining vacant acreage northwest of 143rd Street and LaGrange Road into a walkable downtown district.
“This is something that is long overdue,” said Trustee Cindy Nelson-Katsenes. “Our residents are going to love it.”
Rather than relying strictly on retail, the village’s updated strategy leverages high-paying healthcare jobs to drive steady, daytime foot traffic to local businesses. The plan introduces a massive new medical layer to the existing 108,000-square-foot UChicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care already operating in the district:
- Musculoskeletal Center: A new three- or four-story specialized facility ranging between 80,000 and 120,000 square feet.
- Ground-Floor Integration: The medical center will initially lease 3,000 to 9,000 square feet of ground-level space for traditional retail and restaurant use.
- Parking Infrastructure: To balance patient and leisure parking, UChicago Medicine will hold exclusive use of the nearby 547-space parking garage on weekdays and offer it entirely to the public for evening and weekend dining.
Trustee John Lawler said he was excited about the project moving forward.
“I’m a big sports fan, but I’m also a big supporter of the performing arts,” he said. “I’ve got two daughters who were in the arts and dance growing up and we were big supporters.
“There really is no place to go in Orland to enjoy the arts,” he said. “I would love to see a performing arts center come to Orland Park.”
“This agreement is the result of careful, intentional planning, and it reflects the caliber of development our residents deserve,” said Mayor Jim Dodge in a news release. “The University of Chicago Medicine has been a cornerstone of this community for years, and this expansion deepens a partnership we are incredibly proud of. It strengthens our community’s health, energizes our local economy and sets the stage for everything we are building in this corridor. This plan delivers what residents have asked for: a vibrant downtown with strong daytime activity, welcoming restaurants and retail near Heroes Park, and reliable revenues that fund our public spaces.”
Dodge noted that Heroes Park will serve as the connective tissue of the entire district, drawing residents, workers and visitors alike and creating the kind of lively, active environment that allows surrounding businesses to thrive throughout the day. Construction of Heroes Park is targeted to begin this summer, with completion planned for the summer of 2027.
Designed by Edwards Realty, the commercial footprint will add 140,000 square feet of urban-style, pedestrian-friendly space directly connecting to the adjacent 143rd Street Metra station and will include:
- Experiential Dining & Entertainment: The district features curated local boutiques, open-air bars, fitness centers, daycare facilities, and a cornerstone Weber Grill Restaurant equipped with an interactive public cooking school. There will be no new residential buildings in that area.
- Heroes Park Expansion: The existing Crescent Park is being expanded into a massive central activity hub. It will host farmers’ markets, summer concerts, a pedestrian boardwalk, and a winter ice skating rink.
- The Arts Anchor: Mayor Jim Dodge’s administration has written a clause into the development agreement requiring the village to officially study and decide on building a permanent performing arts center and bandshell within the next three years to keep the project moving efficiently.
The shift comes months after the village board voted to completely eliminate the original, underperforming 2004 Tax Increment Financing district. By wiping out the old layout and auditing construction metrics with independent consultants, the village has protected its taxpayers from long-term debt while freeing up $2.5 million in immediate revenue for local school districts.
With the framework set and the UChicago Medicine expansion officially locked in, construction on the final downtown commercial buildings remains on track for a rolling Fall 2027 completion.
Orland Park established its Downtown Orland Park TIF and Business District to boost the original Main Street Triangle redevelopment and has worked for more than a decade alongside UCMC, which opened its Center for Advanced Care in the Triangle in 2015, to build a destination anchored by healthcare, arts, dining and public space.