$1 Million Contract Awarded For 80th Avenue Train Station Repairs

TINLEY PARK, IL — Safety repairs could continue soon at the 80th Avenue Metra station in Tinley Park after trustees last week unanimously approved a contract for more than $1 million to complete all the repairs identified as necessary at the station. The village awarded the $1,002,184.84 contract to F.H. Paschen for making repairs to the staircases, railings and pavers at the station during a special board meeting.

"This is long overdue," Trustee Michael Mueller said. "This has been a problem since it started and it needs to be fixed."

According to the board meeting's agenda packet, the Tinley Park Public Works Department quickly identified railings at the station that were lifting from the concrete and damaging the surrounding staircases and curbing shortly after the station opened in 2012.

As the years passed, additional heaving of railings, separation of stair nosing and “freeze/thaw” destruction to the concrete in the area continued, the agenda packet states.

Public Works crews began replacing and repairing the staircases and railings last year. The contractor is expected to begin work before winter starts and continue next spring.

Since the village only budgeted $600,000 for this work in 2019, the remaining $402,184,84 will come from the village's municipal buildings fund in 2020.

Multiple trustees did mention legal ramifications the village could take with the firm that designed and performed the original work on the station before it opened in 2012.

But Trustee William Brady called the need for immediate repairs "a safety issue."

"And we decided that priority number one should be the safety of our residents who use the train station," he said.

Village Attorney Patrick Connelly also mentioned "potential litigation" after agreements have not been reached with the company.

Also during the Oct. 15 special village board meeting the village approved authorizing the attorney to seek a demolition or repair of a property that's been deemed dangerous and an "attractive nuisance" on 173rd Place near downtown Tinley Park.

"The owner has not placed the building in a safe state, is unable to do so, and the property is currently unable to be occupied," according to the agenda packet.

Watch the full meeting via the village of Tinley Park on YouTube below.