baseball academy would be great - my son drives to lemont to participate at a facility now. OFBA doesnt "allow" non-members to utilize their site - even if you are a resident of oak forest and would be willing to pay a fee to rent out a batting cage. OFBA runs their facility on the "'ol boys club" system.

An Oak Forest Children's Museum would be great for the community.

Its my understanding that OFBA doesn't get funding from the city to run that building. And, its not really an academy like the one I would LOVE to see take over that spot. I think it would be great, and I don't really understand the arguements against it. I have this really awful feeling that this project is going to turn into the Oak Forest version of the Dixie Mall

Jason and LB,
The building and the property where the OFBA batting cages are located exist as the result of a partnership between OFBA and the park district. The city has no connection to the facility. As for the community motors property, about a year ago, a private partnership approached both the city and the park district looking for a combined partnership to help purchase and redesign the existing facility into a "baseball/sports" complex. In the end, from the park district's perspective, the project would have been too costly and risky for what was being proposed and to the best of my knowledge, the project died.
Joe Conway
Park District Commissioner

A recurring statement I've heard many times over since being elected as a park district commissioner is "I'd love to see some type of sports facility in Oak Forest like the one in Orland or Crestwood." The reality is that Oak Forest does not have the tax base today to build and support such a facility. Additionally, today's political climate clearly demands less government which also makes a sports facility built and run by a taxing body less likely. But in my opinion, all hope is not lost! Check out this article recently published in a west suburban newspaper: http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/topstories/x740680976/Officials-hoped-sports-facility-would-liven-up-town-s-south-side-businesses-not-drawn-yet

The article talks about "Westmont Yard" which is a sports facility built by private developers. I know this facility and since seeing it built I've thought it would be the perfect type of facility to be built on the old Community Motors property. With the city recently making that property a TIF district, maybe now is the time for our city's economic developer to take a ride out to Westmont and talk to the owners.
Joe Conway
Park District Commissioner

I rarely drive past this plot of land because I usually am going in different directions then this one. But the last I remember Mazda was there right? Or am I thinking of a different property?

A Brunswick Bowl equipped with Cosmic Bowling, video and token oriented games. Make it a place where families can go with kids, have birthday parties and most of all FUN!!

A family restuarant, Target or a similar store, a cultural business (I like the idea someone else had on a Children's Museum), something that keeps the families in Oak Forest and has others come visit our great community.

Not sure about how feasible it would be, but I would love to see a Whirlyball venue there.

There's enough bowling alleys around- and yes Oak Forest is baseball's "top shelf" sport...but how about an indoor SOCCER complex? Indoor soccer,basketball, etc. An indoor facility is needed.

How about IKEA? No, not on that property because it's too small. But how about at 167th and Cicero? I know I'm going to stir up a hornet's nest with this location suggestion, but just maybe, with property values depressed and taxes up, now is the right time for a developer such as IKEA to negotiate with the existing property owners in that area? Google IKEA and you will see that the next closest IKEA store to our east is 248 miles away in Canton, Michigan and there is none farther south anywhere nearby. Tax revenue, jobs, convenient shopping, easy highway access (two highways and eventually a third with the I-294/57 interchange finally being constructed) and a train station just a mile away? I hear rumors that an Old Navy, Binny's and a Buffalo Wild Wings is going to be built at 147th and Cicero. Country Club Hills has a pretty decent retail development just on the other side of this location and that city has long term plans to build outlet stores just south of this property. A store such as IKEA seems to me to be a pretty good fit and just might be the catalyst to other developments.

I Agree With Joe Conway Something like the Westmont Yard Would be the best Fit for this Property.

A value movie theater like the old Brementowne!

How about a Whole Foods?! A new Whole foods will be opened in the fall in Orland Park but i think closer to home is always better! ;)

OR how about a new big gym? I don't believe OF has a gym besides the park district. right?

Indoor sports complex complete with indoor batting cages, basketball nets, soccer nets, etc. A place to practice for serious off season athletes.

A Starbucks, an upscale restaurant, a children's boutique clothing store. Children's museum, Ikea...No Car parts or car repair shops PLEASE!

I wrote a nice response and then said I wasn't logged in and deleted what I typed. Nice! What my original post said was that as an Oak Forest resident I would enjoy a 24-hour sports center/gym with a swimming facility. The current Oak Park fitness/sport/gym facility doesn't have great hours for the workin' folk. I only bothered to check years ago--but remember the hours were odd for a gym. Our previous gym experience was upwards of $100 a month for the gym w/swimming pool in Orland Park--a lot of Oak Forest residents were members with us. I didn't even realize Oak Forest had a pool until 5 years in. Just would be great to have a facility open 24 hours with either a pool/spa/steam room available year round.

I agree with other posters...NO car places.

Second part: Just thinking about normal shopping like food--Food for Less and Jewel are great in Oak Forest (Dominicks is missed as well), gas stations (I do llike the facility on Cicero already and the corner of 167th is great too), clothing, now here is Oak Forest's problem, in our area (167th) I would either go to Fashion Bug in Orand, the mall in Orland, some of the strip mall shops in Tinley. I have gone to TJ Max and Burlington in Oak Forest. Would be nice to have a Target closer or another clothing store.

Even our craft store is closed on Sundays! To me that doesn't make any sense, but whatever. And some of the 'breakfast' restaurants that we have close so early and don't serve lunch. So there is a lot of room for business/comsumer spending increase opportunities in Oak Forest.

The gym is not going to happen. 90% of Americans enjoy getting their Mcdonalds and sitting behind the TV watching Fox News or Dancing with the Stars. You have Xsport now in Crestwood, Cardinal Fitness all over, and Lifetime in Orland. Put a fork in that idea..its done. The fact is a big part of getting business in here is getting the people in office out.