Not all new development aims for such an exclusive market, but, said Ted Cachey, president of T.J. Cachey Builders Inc., ”The number of entry-level purchases is about zero. Orland Park is more of a moveup community, because of the cost of land.”
Cachey, who has been building homes in Orland Park for 14 years, said many of his customers come from neighboring southwest suburban communities.
”We built a home for one fellow in South Holland 15 years ago, and last year he bought his fourth home from us. The last three of them were in Orland; he just keeps upgrading.
”And people we sold homes to 10 years ago, with their families raised and they want to stay in the community, have bought our condos.”
The hot real estate market in Orland Park also attracted Lanaii Benne and her husband, who built a house in the town`s Park Hill subdivision about two years ago. They liked it so much they bought a townhouse for rental property. ”We didn`t come to Orland Park with that idea,” Benne said, ”but it seemed like a sure thing, investment-wise. You can`t go wrong.”
Bill Grabinski, owner of South View Properties, a land brokerage in Orland Park, moved to the village last year.
He and his wife had lived in nearby Homer, but, he said, ”We have a boy starting school next year. My wife taught here prior to having the baby, and really likes the school system.
”And our house is walking distance to two parks and the community center, biking distance to the grammar school.
”I know my home`s value is going to increase, I know if I stay and have a child that there are good-quality schools,” Lisa O`Toole said.
”In some communities I`d have more long-term concerns; I feel secure with Orland Park. It`s such a stable community.”
Amid all this stability, Orland Park is growing, and not just residentially.
The village is close to completing its Village Center Complex, which will add a new village hall, civic center and recreation center to the nearby, 5-year-old police station.
And the village recently bought a 192-acre parcel, including a lake, to be developed into a sprawling community park.
The new park is adjacent to a new commuter station scheduled for completion soon.
Booming development has not gone unrestricted.
The tallest structure in town is a six-story office building; its developer planned a twin structure, but village officials persuaded him to make the second building a four-story affair.
Other buildings in town tend to keep to the horizontal lines of their prairie surroundings.
And developers must contribute to the quality of life.
Orland Park was the second area community, following Naperville, to exact impact fees from developers for its elementary schools; Orland was the first community in the area to exact fees for secondary schools as well. Developers also must contribute money for parks.
Orland Park`s boom can be attributed in greatest part to three distinct factors:
– Orland Square.
The mall`s overwhelming success has served to attract other shopping developments, and the additional variety of shopping attracts still more shopping. The sales-tax revenues generated have kept property taxes down.
– Lake Michigan water.
Introduced five years ago, it attracted many businesses and residents for whom water quality and adequacy are important.
”A lot of people are educated on the need for safety and adequacy of water,” Owens said.
”A lot of the people and businesses who moved here are originally from Chicago; many wouldn`t buy in this area without Lake Michigan water.”
Indeed, since Lake Michigan water arrived in Orland Park, two new industrial parks have begun development and three existing parks have been expanded.
– The population boom itself.
Population increase means an increase in the number of taxpayers.
”Because of the increasing tax base, plus increasing sales tax revenue, we`ve lowered our tax levy in each of the last two years,” Owens said.
But Orland Parkers apparently don`t mind spending money in a good cause.
Despite the excellent facilities of the John Humphrey Sports Complex, the burgeoning population put a strain on the capacities of the baseball, football and soccer fields there.
”While existing facilities are excellent, the need was there to expand,” said Penny O`Sullivan, a village trustee and chairman of the Recreation and Parks, Buildings and Grounds Department.
”Residents don`t want to use neighborhood parks for such intense use (as football and baseball games). We needed another regional park.”
But how to get voters to buy it?
To increase public awareness and, it was hoped, support, officials placed in the village newsletter a special, four-page ”informational supplement,”
printed on fluorescent-green paper, that stated the village`s case for approving the purchase, complete with a conceptual drawing of the park, a list of proposed amenities, a breakdown in costs as it affected the average taxpayer and a sample of how the referendum would appear on the Orland Park ballot.
The Recreation and Parks Department did much the same thing on two pages of its quarterly catalogue of programs and activities.
The referendum won approval easily.
And the voters got more than they expected.
The referendum authorized enough money to buy and develop at least 40 acres. But when the village got a great price on a 192-acre plot near the center of town-in fact, it will be the center of town, given projected growth via annexation-it bought the entire property within budget.
The Beemsterboerfamily, who have lived in Orland Park for years, had put the land on the market and was happy to sell the vacant land to the village at a low price.
”We got such a super bargain,” Owens said. ”We have the option of keeping it, of selling off parts of the parcel, of using the (45-acre) lake for development or for water retention. To get a large chunk of land like this in town is extremely good for the community.”
The parcel, Owens said, cost $12,000 an acre-$15,000 if one discounts the lake.
By contrast, Owens said, the land purchased five years ago for the village center complex cost $35,000 an acre.
The new park will have baseball diamonds and football and soccer fields, plus an outdoor pool with water slides, all scheduled to open by summer `90.
Plans call for a jogging path, golf range and other amenities.
The future also looks good for continued expansion, although Owens said he is not anxious to see Orland Park get much bigger.
”I`m not in favor of annexing every which way,” the mayor said.
”The future, I think, is (expansion to) I-80. I wouldn`t want to go into Will County (which Int. Hwy. 80 borders). But I`d like to see I-80 become a corridor of major corporate, hotel and research sites, similar to I-88 (in Du Page County). I`d also like to see, and I`m lobbying strongly for, the extension of the North-South Tollway from I-55 to I-80.
”That would be a godsend for this entire region. This area has been neglected, in my opinion.”
With growth like this, it may not stay neglected much longer.
Average American College Test scores: Andrew H.S. 20.6 (79th percentile);
Sandburg H.S. 19.5 (56th percentile); Stagg H.S. 19.3 (51st percentile).
Driving distances: To Loop, 25 miles; to O`Hare International Airport, 30 miles; to Midway Airport, 18 miles. Rush-hour commute: Norfolk Southern express train service from Orland Park to Union Station, 57 minutes, $89.10 for monthly pass. Also available: Rock Island service from Tinley Park to Rock Island Station, 52 minutes, $89.10 for monthly pass.
Sources: Illinois State Board of Education; U.S. Bureau of the Census;
Village of Orland Park; Orland Township Assessor; Metra.
Note: ”Monthly payment” includes principal, interest, taxes and property insurance. ”Closing costs” include points, application fee, and related charges. Adjustable-rate mortgage statistics are for a 3-year adjustable loan, with a maximum 2 percent interval adjustment and a 5 percent lifetime camp, with a margin of 2.75 percent over the 3-year Treasury bill rate.
Sources: Jean Bialek, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Orland Park (460-4900); Crystal Tree sales office (403-3000); Southwest Financial Bank of Orland Park (339-4712).
