Life Amplified

Freedom Pond


The Village of Tinley Park is developing Freedom Pond, a naturalized detention basin located on eight acres at the northeast corner of 175th Street and Ridgeland Avenue. Work is being done by Dyer Construction and began in early spring 2017.

The purpose of Freedom Pond is to provide for the storm water needs of the downtown Legacy District redevelopment. Redevelopment creates new impervious surfaces which can increase the volume of storm water run-off. The run-off is controlled through a system of storm sewers and detention areas to prevent downstream flooding impacts. This pond will serve redevelopment projects in Downtown Tinley, including the former Central Middle School property and sites on North and South Streets.

Naturalized detention basins have more functional value for the community because they help with water quality. They also provide a reduced initial cost, less land requirements, cheaper long-term maintenance, and are more aesthetic, with wildflowers and the birds that it will attract.

The benefits of a centralized pond to handle the main street district include:

  • Elimination of small, postage-size detention ponds that are land-intensive, costly and inefficient.
  • More developable land in the higher-density section of Oak Park Avenue, thus improved land value.
  • Volume control requirements are provided through Freedom Pond. Costly impacts to the Main Street district are avoided and there is no reduction in usable land.
  • Development through the aggregation of land is not penalized.

Notes
Dust control and street sweeping are required per the project specifications. These items are incidental to the contract and are expected to occur on an as-needed basis throughout the work day. Dyer has been compliant in doing so.

Dyer is running anywhere from 150 to 250 trucks a day (sometimes more) and are utilizing Oak Forest Avenue to the northeast, 175th Street to the east and Ridgeland Avenue to the south as truck routes. Tinley Park High School truck operations are using Ridgeland Avenue southbound as well. The MWRD sewer lining project has yet to begin, which is likely to involve more trucking operations and actual lane closures.
Earth excavation of the pond is estimated to take two to three months due to the amount of dirt needing to be removed.
Storm sewer work is tentatively scheduled to begin after school gets out for the summer as to minimize impacts to traffic.
Project completion for all work associated with the excavation and grading of the pond, removal and installation of storm sewer, pavement and landscaping restoration and all natural area landscaping for the first growing season is set for Nov. 30, 2017. All other natural area landscaping areas are set for June 30, 2018 as some of the grasses and plantings are spring installation only.

Click here to see a rendering of the proposed pond, and click here to see photos of similar ponds in the area.
For more information on the Legacy TIF in general, please click here.

Additional Documents