Like many south suburbs, Sauk Village grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, then slowed in the 1970s. Today, new housing developments and a debt-free school system suggest a rebirth for the suburb bordering U.S. 30.
“It’s a clean, attractive community with a nice country feel,” said village manager Richard Dieterich, a resident for nine years.
New housing developments are taking advantage of proximity to the Calumet Expressway (Illinois 394 and I-94). Sauk Village also is seven miles south of the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
J.A. Associates plans to construct 150 homes over a five-year period in the Deer Creek subdivision. Thirty homes already are available for $140,000 to $200,000 near Sauk Trail and Cottage Grove. Another 30 homes are under construction.
The Carolina subdivision by Jo-Na Inc. features 110 homes at Sauk Trail and Cornell Avenue. Prices range from $120,000 to $180,000. The Lincoln Meadows subdivision, on Steger Road near Illinois 394, has 35 houses that range from $120,000 to $180,000. K&S Construction is the builder. Also, Plum Creek at 223rd Street and Torrence Avenue features 50 homes starting about $120,000. The developer is JK Homes.
Existing ranch and multi-level homes, some built on a cement foundation without a basement, range from $60,000 to more than $100,000. Homes sell in an average of 90 days, according to real estate agent Greg Bryant of First Calumet Realty in Sauk Village.
Many families moved to Sauk Village from Chicago or surrounding communities to work at various companies, including the Ford plant about three miles away in Ford Heights.
Others may be employed at two large industrial parks & 150 1,000 acres south of Sauk Trail and 520 acres north of Sauk Trail. Both are Tax Increment Financing districts that shift property tax revenues into infrastructure improvements.
“I came here because I liked the location and its easy access to the expressways because I have family in Wisconsin and Indiana,” said President Robert Peckham, a resident for 19 years.
Peckham is a former trustee who became village president in 1997. He also served as a president and board member for eight years in elementary school District 168. Peckham said solid education and debt-free schools attract home buyers.
“When I first became a board member, there was a $1 million deficit in the school. By the time I left, we turned it around, and there was actually a small surplus in the budget,” Peckham recalled.
About four years ago, the district established a dress code. “Uniforms provided a better atmosphere and discipline,” said Peckham. “It also brought the kids together. They realize they are there for an education.”
In addition, the Sauk Village Sports Association provides sports teams for area youngsters. The Community Center offers programs for teens and seniors.
Settlers arriving in the 1800s named the village after the Sauk Indians. After World War II and the Korean War, many families moved to the village because of appealing home prices for veterans under the GI Bill, Dieterich said.
