Orland Park Sees I-80 Development as a Way to Draw Better Jobs

Orland Park wants to speed up development of the Interstate 80 corridor and bring better jobs to the region.

"We already have a strong retail base, the question is how we diversify," said Trustee Jim Dodge, who will work with a new advisory board the mayor will form to study the I-80 area.

Mayor Dan McLaughlin announced the new advisory group at last week's State of the Village address.

"They'll be looking at strategies we need to attract higher-end jobs for our residents," McLaughlin said in his speech Wednesday.

Dodge, who chairs Economic Development Strategy and Community Engagement Committee for the village board, told the Chicago Tribune the village was on a roll with new development along I-80 prior to the recession, including St. Xavier's satellite campus, The Horton Group insurance company and American Technical Publishers. The downturn in the economy stalled the village's efforts, however.

"We're making a big push to fill up that I-80 corridor," McLaughlin said.

The mayor addressed several business issues in his State of the Village:

• sales tax revenue for 2013 is close to pre-recession figures
• 117 new business licenses were issued in 2013
• 9 of 10 Orland Park businesses surveyed by the village plan to stay in town for at least five years
• 4 of 10 businesses surveyed by the village plan to hire in the coming year
• there is strong interest in available Main Street Triangle property

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