The Oak Park City Council on Dec. 1 approved an obsolete property rehabilitation (OPRA) exemption for 21800 Greenfield Road, the former Forgotten Harvest building, to support conversion to an ice‑manufacturing facility.

Director Kim Maroney told the council the OPRA exemption “allows them to get a tax abatement, which will freeze their taxes for a period of up to 12 years” to help secure financing. Maroney said the site is currently producing no property tax revenue because it was owned by a nonprofit; she estimated the facility’s tax bill, based on current assessments, at $165,093 annually and said the total abatement over 12 years will not exceed $300,000.

Owners identified in the meeting as Matthew and Brian Lucia told the council they expect to invest about $12 million in the project and aim to be open by May or June 2026. They described interior retrofits — production, storage and packing rooms — and said the existing freezer/cooler will be reused. The owners said the operation expects to run 24 hours with manufacturing and delivery across southeastern Michigan and beyond, and that the fleet will likely be smaller than that used by the prior tenant.

Council questions focused on the investment, job figures and neighborhood impacts. Council members asked whether the existing block wall will mitigate noise for the adjacent neighborhood; the owners said the operation will be similar to the prior occupant and that truck traffic should be reduced because the facility will manufacture product rather than primarily redistribute deliveries.

The council moved and carried a resolution approving the OPRA application. The measure includes the tax‑freeze incentive as described; the abatement is limited by staff to the $300,000 cap over 12 years. The council did not specify amendments to the incentive conditions at the meeting.

The next procedural step is execution of the abatement agreement and any required administrative documents; owners and staff indicated they expect to begin work immediately.