Houses or horses? Gambling expansion may alter plan for big suburban subdivision

Tinley Park village officials suddenly have a choice between houses and horses on the old Tinley Park Mental Health Center property.

Long eyed as the site of a large new subdivision, the former mental health center is now in the running for a combination racetrack/casino that would be created under a massive statewide gambling expansion awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature, according to the Daily Southtown.

The village had been negotiating for months with a venture known as Melody Square to put hundreds of homes on the property at 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue. But the new gambling legislation allows for the creation of a so-called “racino” in the south suburbs, and Melody Square partner Rick Heidner is now looking to put in on the health center site.

Melody Square, led by prolific homebuilder K. Hovnanian, had proposed a $350 million development with 435 single-family homes restricted to buyers 55 and older, 200 senior apartments and more residential units on the 280-acre property, according to the Southtown. But village officials said that plan now is on hold until the racino site-selection process is resolved.

Heidner, who is pursuing the racino separately from his Melody Square partners, is an owner of video gambling terminal operator Gold Rush Gaming. [Daily Southtown] — John O’Brien