Orland Park approves eminent‑domain ordinances for two 159th Street properties tied to intersection improvements

The Village Board voted to authorize eminent‑domain proceedings for two adjacent properties on 159th Street: 9401 (the former BP gas station) and 9441 (the former KFC). Staff described 9401 as vacant since March 2020, with liens and deed restrictions limiting reuse; engineering analysis shows the intersection at 159th and 94th requires improvements (additional turn lanes) involving land takings across jurisdictions (state, county, village). For 9441 (former KFC), staff noted a long master lease and a sublease through 2040; condemnation would trigger negotiation and judicial appraisal to establish just compensation.

Trustees expressed a range of views. Some said eminent domain is distasteful and emphasized property rights; others said prolonged neglect, liens and the intersection’s documented accident history justify pursuing condemnation to remove blight and enable public safety improvements. Trustees and staff clarified that condemnation is a formal judicial process involving multiple appraisals, and that negotiation with property owners remains possible. Board votes carried both ordinances with recorded ayes and nos.

Quotable: Village staff on the BP site: “The property has been an eyesore ... We have liens placed on that property. We’ve taken them to court multiple times.” Trustee Gutierrez: “I feel that eminent domain is at the end of government coming in and taking property that isn’t theirs ... I have a problem with that.”