Orland Park officials have advanced plans for a permanent concert stage to be built at Centennial Park West, replacing a temporary stage used to host summer concerts.
Village Board members said they believed there is adequate parking for large events and did not believe noise or traffic would be concerns.
The stage itself would be 9,700 square feet and have dressing rooms, washrooms, lounges and offices, according to the village.
The park is south of 153rd Street and east of the Metra 153rd Street commuter station.
East of the stage there will be a 10,000-square-foot paved seating area for people to set up lawn chairs, then east of that a 51,000-square-foot lawn seating area, according to plans. The seating areas would have room for about 4,000 people, according to the village.
A paved walkway would surround the seating areas, with spaces for 20 food and beverage vendors.
More Top Picks Best Weighted Eye Masks For Light Sensitivity
The village will seek bids for the work shortly, and construction is expected to be largely completed before the end of this year, Mayor Keith Pekau said Tuesday.
While construction is underway, concerts for this upcoming season will take place in a Metra parking lot on the east side of the rail station, he said.
In this year’s budget, $12.7 million has been earmarked for the Centennial Park West project.
A parking and traffic study estimates 90% of concert attendees will drive to the site, with the average vehicle carrying 2.5 people. The study estimates 5% of attendees will walk or bike, and 2% take public transportation, such as Metra.
The study notes the two parking lots adjacent to the Metra station have 1,400 parking spaces while adjacent Centennial Park has 1,000 parking spaces. The study estimates peak parking demand for concerts would be 1,800 spaces.
“Parking is well set up to accommodate the venue,” Pekau said before the board voted to proceed with the project.
Homes in the Colette Highlands and Sheffield Square subdivision are to the west of Centennial Park West, and some residents who live near the park said they were concerned about traffic and noise.
Kathy Scanlon told village trustees she lives in a condominium near the proposed venue.
“I will probably be 600 feet from this,” she said. “We live here, these are our homes.”
The village has used a temporary stage to hold concerts at the park since 2019. Pekau and Trustee Patrick Riordan said they live in Colette Highlands and have not encountered problems with traffic or noise.
Along with hosting concerts — the village now holds three during the summer — Centennial Park West would be the site of the village’s annual Taste of Orland food and music fest. The event now takes place on village grounds south of Village Hall.
“I feel pretty confident we can host these things without any issues,” Pekau said.
More Top Picks Computers