COMMUNITY GROWTH PROMPTS
NEW VILLAGE HALL

As a community grows, so must the government that serves it. Such is the situation with Tinley Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago with a population of about 30,000. Incorporated in 1892, the Village remained a small community until the early '50's, when it began to grow in leaps and bounds. Population has nearly tripled in the past fifteen years, and with it has grown the Village staff. The 10,000 square foot building that handled all Village operations soon became just too small, so the decision was made to build a new Village Hall.

Built in eight and one-half months on a ten-acre site north of Tinley Park's main business district where the old Village Hall is located, the new brick structure has 14,000 square feet of space. While the old Hall building still houses the fire, police, and emergency services departments, the new structure is home for all other Village operations.

Around the perimeter of the facility are the offices of the mayor, village clerk, treasurer, trustees, village manager, and economic and community development staff. In the center of the structure are the clerk's office, the water department, the building department, and the consumer protection office.

The main entrance to the one story building leads into a lobby whose eighteen foot ceiling features two skylights. On the left is Constitution Hall, where the Village Board meets. At the front of the Hall is a raised platform with a large desk where the Village officials sit. There are ninety-six seats for the public, all covered in red fabric similar in color to the red carpeting.

Two other walls in the lobby provide counters where residents can conduct business with the clerk's office, the building department, or the water department. Their office staff occupies the central area of the carpeted building, divided with partitions about six feet high.

On the north perimeter wall are two conference rooms, the Fulton and the Vogt, named after early settlers to Tinley Park. On either side of the conference rooms are the offices for the Village Manager, the Director of Community Development, the Director of

September 1987 / Illinois Municipal Review I Page 17

Economic Development, and the Building Commissioner. Another room is used by four Village commissions: the Long Range Planning Commission, the Economic Development Commission, the Industrial and Commercial Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Tinley Park has owned the ten-acre site, which was originally donated by the school district, for several years. Because of crowded conditions due to an exploding population and increased staff, talk began in the late '70's of a new and larger Village Hall. Officials planned to build a new facility in 1980, but plans were postponed because of an uncertain economy and high costs.

When, in late 1985, the economy had begun to improve, Mayor Edward Zabrocki directed Village employees to again study the need and financing of a new Village Hall. The decision to build the new facility was made in May 1986 after several months of discussion by Village officials.

"The Board of Trustees authorized borrowing $1.69 million to cover construction of the facility and bonding costs, which left a net of $1.6 million," Village Manager Dennis Kallsen said. "An additional $110,000 was approved by the Board in the '87-'88 capital budget for landscaping and the construction of a Veterans Memorial Plaza, bringing the total expenditure to $1.7 million," according to Kallsen.

In addition to the building, a Veterans Memorial Plaza was constructed in memory of those who have fought in defense of our country. The 200 square foot plaza will be used for special patriotic events and gatherings. Three large poles carry the United States, Illinois, and the Tinley Park flags, and thirteen smaller removable poles carry various historic flags that fly on public holidays.

The move from the old to the new building was completed in mid-June, and a festive dedication was held on June 28th. The festivities included the Fourth Army Band from Fort Sheridan, Illinois and the Bluejacket Choir from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. The featured speaker was Edward Derwinski, U.S. Under Secretary of State and a former longtime U.S. Representative from Illinois.

A special ceremony known as the "Massing of the Colors" honoring the U.S. flag and those living and dead who have struggled to preserve it was presented by the Military Order of World Wars as part of the dedication of the Veterans Memorial Plaza. Numerous local and area color guards participated in the ceremony, which dates back to the '20's and is usually held on military installations.

As part of the dedication, a timecapsule filled with messages from community agencies, civic organizations, commissions, schools, and area, state, and national dignitaries was placed in a vault in the building and soldered shut.

"The capsule will be opened in the year 2087," according to James Smithberg, Director of Economic Development and coordinator of the timecapsule project. In addition to letters from President Reagan and Governor Thompson, the capsule also included a videotape of the groundbreaking for the new building, diaries of local schoolchildren, and housing and auto brochures.

Now that all employees have settled into the new facility and the dedication is over, business is back to normal at the Village Hall. Tinley Park continues to grow at a rapid pace, and the new Village Hall building will be one way the government can continue to better serve the community of Tinley Park. •

Page 18 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1987