Tinley Park approves Topgolf and resumes stalled project

The same thing they wanted to do 30 years ago.

In the mid-1990s, the idea was to build a large complex called I-80 World, which would include a CarMax, movie theaters and other venues.

There is CarMax, an amusement area called Odyssey Fun World and the Odyssey Golf Foundation. The rest of the plan did not go as planned.

But there are already new plans, called the Odyssey Entertainment District, and the first major tenant is a Topgolf facility on the site near Interstate 80 and Harlem Avenue.

At its meeting on August 7, the municipal council signed the documents and proposals that had been approved by the planning commission on July 18.

Plaintiff Anthony DeAngelis, who filed the motion on behalf of Inter-Centennial Real Estate and Development, spoke at the July 18 meeting and was pleased that something was now in motion.

“This has been a long time coming,” he said. “Believe it or not, I was there when the CarMax deal was done and was part of that original I-80 World and was closely involved in the construction of Odyssey Fun World and the golf course and banquet facility.

“We are very excited to have Topgolf. It is a perfect fit and a perfect anchor to restart the process with the original vision we had for I-80 World.”

Topgolf has two other locations in the Chicago area: Naperville and Schaumburg, where customers can hit golf balls into an area with outdoor targets.

There is also music, television, food and drinks.

DeAngelis was involved in a construction project in Naperville that houses Topgolf and has similar ideas for Tinley Park.

“We have a CarMax there and we have a (planned housing development) approved,” he said of the Naperville project. “Other uses in the area include a large mixed-use development – 420 apartments – and we have eight restaurant apartments, a full-service hotel with an attached conference center and a medical office building.”

“None of these currently exist, but they are part of the PUD plan.”

Planning Commission Chairman Garrett Gray said he liked the design in Naperville and hoped it could be replicated in Tinley Park.

“The location — people can see it from the highway — will hopefully bring new energy to the place,” he said. “When they originally built the World Music Theater, there was all this energy that we were going to get other things, but it just stayed there, and (the amphitheater) changed names every three years. But this is pretty exciting.”

Officials said the 100-acre site will include restaurants, other entertainment options and possibly a hotel, but no stores, banks or medical offices are planned in the initial planning phase.

Topgolf is expected to occupy 13 of the 100 acres. The facility could be built in a year, and officials want to start construction in late 2024.

It will be open all year round and the bays will be heated during the winter months.

“I’ve played at Topgolf before and it was so much fun,” Gray said. “I think it will be a welcome addition to the community.”