Dozens of residents gathered at the Markham Courthouse Wednesday to share input and hear from the county about potential uses of the former Oak Forest Hospital site.
The 150-acre, county-owned property at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue, close to Oak Forest’s Metra stop, is in the midst of a multiyear demolition project planned to take until 2028.
“Whatever we do here, across all of these other objectives, should enhance the overall community, promote the social, environmental and economic welfare of the community,” said Tim Brangle of the Chicago Consultants Studio, which is working with the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management on the project.
Brangle said the county is looking at preserving the core of the hospital campus and saving some of its historic buildings. The property is large enough that whatever the final plan is will likely combine a variety of uses, he…
