As the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America’s local chapter seeks to move its home base from the Southwest Side to the southwest suburbs, Orland Park officials are eager to capitalize on a potential cultural center in the village.
Mayor Jim Dodge hosted three representatives from the organization as well as about 200 residents at Signature Barn Banquet Hall May 29 to discuss a possible new cultural center northwest of Interstate 80 and La Grange Road.
“I’d love to see that development in Orland — anything that attracts a lot of people to Orland Park is good for our commercial base, it’s good for the community,” Dodge said Monday.
The Polish Highlanders Alliance has been in talks to purchase a vacant commercial parcel near the Interstate 80 and La Grange Road corridor owned by St. Xavier University, according to the organization’s secretary general, Krzysztof Zoltek.
The existing cultural center, at 4808 S Archer Ave. in Chicago, has served the organization well for decades but no longer meets the needs of a geographically shifting Polish American population, Zoltek said.
“It was built with the community effort — there’s a lot of artisanal work put into that place,” Zoltek said. “If we could wheel it off and move it somewhere to the suburbs where the community resides right now, we would love to, but that’s not possible.”
Zoltek said the organization has searched for months for potential locations throughout the southwest suburbs, noticing many of its members have to drive to and from the area to attend events.
But finding a location with space for a banquet hall seating 1,000 people as well as acreage for outdoor activities has not been easy.
“The Polish Highlanders, as a community, our roots go back to Poland to a very pastoral type of culture and society,” Zoltek said. “We love the outdoors, different types of picnics and outdoor events.”
The I-80/La Grange Road parcel under consideration would cost $3 million to acquire and an additional $15 million to construct the cultural center.
Zoltek said the Orland Park property’s price tag is higher than the Polish Highlanders Alliance would like, but the organization is eager to continue working with the village after having the opportunity to engage with the mayor and residents May 29.
“We actually did get some offers, folks do approach us, obviously there’s sellers, but what’s probably even more important is what Mayor Dodge brought to the table, which is an opportunity to present ourselves in front of the community to speak with them,” Zoltek said. “So that they get to know us as well so there’s that dialogue and introduction to see if there’s a mutual fit.”
Dodge said he grew up near the Polish Highlanders Alliance’s on Archer Avenue and appreciates the Polish American community’s vibrant culture. He said he understands costs might stand in the way of the organization’s move to Orland Park but is eager to help members through the approval process if they choose to move forward.
“For any ethnic group that fully embraces being in America but also appreciates their cultural heritage, these types of things are really important, because that’s how you keep language and music and art and culture alive,” Dodge said. “Assets like that with events focused on those types of things are really important to give the community a sense of feel and place.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
