Tinley Park Apothecary, Village Butt Heads Over Tax Break To Keep Local, Indie Pharmacy Afloat

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Tinley Park business owner took his plight to pursue a tax break public, saying the Village had unfairly denied the renewal of an incentive he'd received when his pharmacy first opened 10 years ago.

Omar Hassad, who co-owns independent pharmacy Tinley Park Apothecary, turned to the community to rally for the beloved local business at 17320 S. Oak Park Ave., after his efforts to receive Village approval to renew an expired tax incentive fell short.

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Hassad and business partners Kam Lee and Whitney Lee are seeking to renew their Cook County Class 8 incentive, first in effect at their opening in 2016. The incentive, according to the county's website, is "designed to encourage industrial and commercial development in areas of the County which are experiencing severe economic stagnation."

When it expired in 2025, Hassad submitted for renewal and paid a $1,000 fee. Next, they would need the Village to adopt a resolution that would support the corresponding tax break that comes with the Class 8 certification.

Hassad says he met resistance within the administration, and learned in early-May that their request for renewal had been denied. He has since emailed village staff twice in May, he says—"telling them what’s going on, and that I need their help.

"Did I get an answer from anybody? Dead silence. Two days later, we went public."

Hassad makes a passionate case for the business, the area's only independent pharmacy. He's turned to social media to drum up support and called on media for publicity, stressing the pharmacy is an essential business to Tinley Park residents.

"We do it so they can have a truly, family-owned pharmacy and they can come in and talk to someone, any time," he said, stating how closely they've grown to know their customers. "We know their disease, their medications—we know their dog’s name."

"It’s confusing for me," Hassad said. "There’s something missing. Lack of communication, misrepresentation. I don’t know what it is. It’s very frustrating, it really is. I don’t know what to do, to be honest with you."

Village Manager Pat Carr on Tuesday issued a statement, noting the difference in circumstances for the business now compared to 10 years ago.

"When Tinley Park Apothecary first applied for the Cook County Class 8 tax incentive 2015, the Village granted support due to the fact the property they intended to utilize at 17320 S. Oak Park Avenue had been vacant for four years, which is in line with the purpose of the incentive, which is to promote industrial and commercial development in areas of Cook County that are 'experiencing severe economic stagnation,' as stated in the Cook County Class 8 Eligibility Bulletin," Carr's statement reads.

In the years since, Carr said, "significant redevelopments" in downtown Tinley have "increased foot traffic and density, which presents improved business opportunities.

"...The Village’s investment in Harmony Square, which is directly across the street from the Apothecary, generated a quarter of a million visitors to the area in 2025. This investment is a direct benefit to this and the surrounding businesses."

The $1,000 application fee Hassad paid is a standard, non-refundable fee all applicants pay regardless of whether their application is approved, Carr said. It does not mean the incentive was approved, he emphasized.

Carr went on to say that three other tenants in the same building do not receive tax incentives. According to the Cook County Property Tax Portal, Carr notes that the other tenants paid $8,416.77 each in taxes for 2024, whereas the Tinley Park Apothecary paid $3,366.75.

"Tinley Park has a robust business community that includes several independent businesses who are paying full taxes," Carr's statement read.

In a follow-up call with Patch, Carr further responded to Hassad's concerns.

"Number 1, this isn’t a village incentive; it’s a county incentive," he said. "There’s specific criteria for people to apply for it."

For instance, a building being located in an area considered blighted, or the building itself being vacant or in disrepair, Carr said. While that might have been true at the time Hassad initially applied, it does not reflect the current state of the area or building. The Village, he said, is obligated to consider all factors.

"When reviewing an incentive application, the Village considers each on its own merit, the benefit to the community, and completeness of information," Carr's statement reads. "Tinley Park Apothecary made no mention of any intention to invest in the property or business, which doesn’t meet the investment requirement to be granted approval. Throughout the application process, the Village also informed the applicant that renewals are not automatic or guaranteed support."

Hassad said the tax incentive could mean savings of $3,500-4,000 annually for the business. He also noted he'd spent more than $26,000 of his own money updating the facade.

"I’m sorry, every penny counts," he said. "When you have a small business, every penny counts."

Carr said that this specific incentive is not designed to support a business in the way Hassad is needing currently.

"It’s because of slim margins and competition," Carr said, "and that’s not what this incentive is for. We don’t give out money to subsidize a business because it’s not doing well or running on slim margins. ... that’s not the reason to renew something like this. If a business is failing because of $3-4,000, there’s a bigger problem."

Hassad, though, said the pharmacy strives diligently to keep drug costs affordable to their clientele, which often means he and his partners take a hit financially.

"We're the only independent, family-owned pharmacy still sticking around," he said. "The fact we fill prescriptions most of the time at or below cost. ... We deliver for free to our patients, citizens of Tinley Park. That is actually a service that has a value."

Increased foot traffic, he says, does not equate to more profits for a business like his. Other businesses, like an eye doctor's office, are fee-for-service based, or a traditional payment method where providers are paid for every specific service they perform.

“We’re very unique in what we do," he said. "It’s apples and oranges. You cannot compare other businesses to us. We don’t have profit margins. We lose. An increase in foot traffic does not increase profits for us.

"We really could just close our doors and go home. But then residents suffer."

Hassad looked to the public for support of a business they've grown to love. Following a feature segment on local TV news Tuesday, Hassad attended the Tinley Park Village Board meeting to voice his opinions.

There, longtime customer Susan Patzkowsky also spoke in support of the business.

"I’ve been one of Omar’s first customers, my doctor recommended him to me and still does to this day," Patzkowsky said. "They’re a small business wanting to just keep their business going here. They have helped my grandchildren who have rare diseases get their medications when needed. They help me get my medications.

"Quite frankly, if any of you are going to CVS or Walgreens, you’re nuts. These people get your prescriptions quickly, honestly and fairly. I haven’t seen Omar in a couple years at least—he knew my name today.

"Fully in support of Tinley Park Apothecary. I’ve been a resident for 40 years."

Hassad also took the floor to address the board, with Trustee Michael Mueller sitting as mayor pro tem. Mayor Michael Glotz and Village Manager Pat Carr were absent as they attended a conference out of state.

"First of all, I want to thank the community, our patients, Sue and everybody for supporting us since the day we opened..." Hassad said. "Without the community’s support, we wouldn’t even be here."

Hassad stressed that for each independent pharmacy that opens in the United States, five close their doors. Hassad said insurance systems "undercut" independent pharmacies, with pharmacies only receiving a portion of what they pay to provide a medication.

"If a drug costs us a dollar, you would not believe that nine out of 10 times, we get 70 cents on that dollar," he said. "It's not a fee-for-service ... the system does not value that. We're not like a medical doctor ... even though your pharmacists sometimes know more than your medical doctor."

Hassad pleaded for the board to reconsider the renewal in favor of the business receiving the tax break.

"We really do need your help," Hassad said. "It really does break my heart."

Hassad said that he believed he had followed the steps of the process.

“I made sure I did everything right," Hassad said.

"As a pharmacist, I took an oath to help serve the community, so when we actually end up filling these prescriptions at a loss, who's paying the difference—ask yourselves who's paying it? We are. When we offer delivery free for the residents of Tinley Park—who's paying for the gas, who's paying for the insurance, who's paying for the car, who's paying for the maintenance—it's us. We never took a dime from anybody. We never applied for a grant, we never took PPE money. We funded the pharmacy, the three of us, from our own pockets and kept it open. Why? Because we genuinely care. We truly care about the health and well-being of our residents."

Hassad pressed the board for answers, ticking off several questions.

"Which applications were rejected before commission review? What objective scoring system exists? Are written findings required? Were any applicants treated differently? Who determined merits? Is there an appeal process? Are staff communications publicly recorded?"

In a separate conversation with Patch, Hassad noted recent approvals made for Class 8 renewals, including Siam Marina in July 2025. Carr said the business "provided documentation on their need."

Conversely, Carr said they had denied a renewal request for Golden Corral last year.

"That area’s vibrant," Carr said, of that decision. "Everybody’s paying the full boat on their taxes."

At Tuesday's meeting, Trustee Ken Shaw expressed empathy toward Hassad but stressed there are other options available to provide support to the business—this one just doesn't fit.

"When it comes to Class 8, my understanding of it is, when you received it, that property had been vacant for a couple years, it met the criteria. That’s why it went through fairly easy for you back then," Shaw said. "I would hope that you can see yourself, from having been there as long as you have, the difference between what that stretch of the Village is today, compared to what it was back then. We’re not in the same economic conditions that we were back then.

"Quite frankly, my understanding of where the property is today, it simply does not meet the criteria of Class 8. Class 8 is not supposed to be taking into account your profit margins, or economic conditions, or any of those things. It’s strictly about whether there is a blight that exists, whether there’s a hardship in terms of vacancies, and if it’s in need of a redevelopment incentive. That’s what it’s for. It simply doesn’t meet the criteria today. I wish that it did, because we could very easily approve that. It’s not the proper economic incentive tool. There are other ones available."

He noted the Village has a Business Retention Specialist, whose job it is to identify ways to help businesses thrive and succeed.

"A business' ability to have a solid business model—if your survival is dependent on getting this tax break, but the business doesn't meet the criteria for it, that's not established by the Village, that's established by the county. My understanding of the numbers, the other three units in that building are paying just over $8,000 previously in 2024, and yours was right around $3,000 or so. So we're talking about a differential of $5,000.

"And I recognize you already said upfront you operate on a very tight profit margin. But if your business model hasn't prepared in these 10 years to absorb that—because this is not a guaranteed renewal, never was, it was always a temporary incentive. And if that wasn't clear to you from the beginning—I wasn't around, I can't speak to that—but it always was intended to be a temporary incentive to spur redevelopment. And to that end, it's been successful. It did its job.

"But the other three units in your building are in the same location, in the same building on the same street, and they're not getting that break. ... Any break you get is being pushed off to the others, and as good stewards of the public's funds, we have to consider that. We can't give special treatment to one property owner over another."

Shaw again emphasized that there are other options for Hassad to explore.

“You’re right now looking for a break from the Village government, from the county government, to help your business survive," he said. "... This is just not designed to meet the need that you currently have. But there are other avenues there, that are more appropriate."

Prior to Shaw's remarks, Trustee William Brennan said the board had asked that the renewal application be sent back to the Village's Economic and Commercial Commission.

Carr also said that Hassad can re-apply in the future, but there is no guarantee of approval.