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Board moves to recommend $5.8M Tinley Creek stabilization contract; MWRD grant covers $3.7M
Summary
Trustees heard a long‑running Tinley Creek streambank stabilization plan and a motion to recommend awarding a $5,796,847 contract to Copenhaver Construction Inc. The presenter said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is covering $3.7 million, leaving the village responsible for roughly $2.2 million; construction is expected to begin in 2026 with most work completed by year-end.
The board considered a motion to recommend execution of a construction contract between the Village of Orland Park and Copenhaver Construction Inc. for the Tinley Creek streambank stabilization project (ITV‑25‑049). The motion text presented to the board specified a contract amount of $5,796,847 plus a 10 percent contingency of $580,000 for a total not to exceed $6,376,847, and authorized the village manager to approve change orders up to the contingency amount with village attorney review.
Project staff traced the work back to a 2012 conception and a 2014 design by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The presenter said the village initially could not obtain the required number of easements (31 required, nine secured), the project stalled, and was restarted in 2022 when MWRD indicated $3,700,000 in grant funding would be at risk if the village did not advance it. For that reason MWRD contributed $3.7 million toward construction costs; the presenter said that left the village responsible for a little over $2.2 million (approximately 36 percent of total cost) and that the MWRD portion is subject to MBE requirements imposed by the grant.
Staff described typical stabilization measures including stone toe/riprap and gabion (steel‑caged) walls; the presentation stated roughly 8,000 feet of channel would receive stone‑toe solutions and regraded banks with native plantings for long‑term stabilization. When asked about expected durability, the presenter said the gabion cages are "corrosion resistant" with a "typical life about, you know, 25 to 30 years if we can properly maintain it." On landscaping, the presenter confirmed native, deep‑rooted vegetation is planned to help stabilize banks.
Staff also said four properties that refused easements were excluded from the project and would be responsible for their own creek maintenance; the village attorney sent letters notifying those owners that future flow issues would be their responsibility. An RFP for construction observation and quality control services was issued on November 21, 2025, and staff said they expect to return in 4–6 weeks with a recommendation for those services. The presenter said construction could start within approximately three months and that substantial completion should occur by the end of 2026 with limited carryover into 2027 possible.
The motion to recommend the contract had a second and was discussed; the transcript does not record a final board vote on the contract during the captured segments.
