If you’ve driven past 159th and LaGrange Road lately, you’ve probably noticed that the old Petey’s II site is still just sitting there. Empty. For years, it’s been the kind of vacant lot that just fades into the background of your commute. But that’s about to change in a way that has everyone in town talking—and frankly, a lot of people are getting the details mixed up.
The big headline for orland park il news right now isn’t just "another store." It’s a massive, 229,000-square-foot Amazon retail concept that basically aims to take on Walmart and Target at the same time. This isn’t just a warehouse. It’s a "first-of-its-kind" hybrid that blends a massive grocery store with general merchandise and a high-tech fulfillment engine in the back.
Honestly, the scale is hard to wrap your head around. To give you some perspective, a standard Walmart Supercenter is usually around 180,000 square feet. Amazon is planning something significantly larger right in our backyard.
The Amazon Superstore: Retail Giant or Traffic Nightmare?
The Village Plan Commission recently voted 6-1 to move this project forward, but the Jan. 19 Board of Trustees meeting is where the rubber really meets the road. Mayor Jim Dodge has been pretty vocal about why this matters, pointing to the sales tax revenue that could fund village services without raising your property taxes. But if you talk to residents like Jim Savage, who spoke up at a recent meeting, the mood is a bit more cautious.
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People are worried about the "cannibalization" of local shops. Orland Park already has a ton of grocers—think Jewel, Mariano’s, Pete’s, and even that Whole Foods just down the way. Adding a 229,000-square-foot Amazon beast to the mix feels like a lot. Then there's the traffic. 159th and LaGrange is already one of the busiest intersections in the south suburbs.
The village's fix? They’re looking at extending Ravinia Avenue south to 161st Street. The idea is to create a "pressure valve" for all those delivery trucks and shoppers so they aren't all piling onto the main intersection. Amazon says they’ll have seven loading docks and 800 parking spaces. It’s going to be a hive of activity, for better or worse.
Beyond the Shopping: Public Safety Gets a High-Tech Makeover
While everyone is focused on the Amazon drama, the Orland Park Police Department has been quietly rolling out some tech that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie. Have you heard about the Drones as First Responders (DFR) program?
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Basically, when a 911 call comes in, the police can launch a drone that often beats the squad car to the scene. It gives the dispatchers a live birds-eye view of what’s actually happening. This isn't just for show; it's about getting "eyes on" before an officer even steps out of their vehicle.
They also just started a "Cruise Lights" pilot program. If you see a squad car with steady, non-flashing blue and red lights at night, don't panic. You don't need to pull over. It’s just a way to make the police more visible in neighborhoods and parking lots to deter people from trying anything funny. Chief Eric Rossi mentioned it’s all about being "visible and accessible."
What’s Happening at Orland Square Mall?
It isn't just 159th Street getting all the love. Orland Square Mall is going through its own evolution. The big news there is the redevelopment of the old Sears wing into a Dick’s House of Sport.
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This isn't your typical strip-mall Dick’s. We’re talking about an "experience" store with climbing walls and turf fields. To make it happen, the Village is setting up a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district specifically to fix some long-standing stormwater issues around the mall and improve the traffic signals at 153rd and Regent Drive.
Real Talk: The 2026 Budget and Your Wallet
The 2026 budget was recently locked in, and the big takeaway is a heavy pivot toward public safety. But there’s a bit of "trimming the fat" happening too.
Take Centennial Park West, for example. The village realized they were spending nearly $2 million a year on a concert venue that only gets used a few days out of the summer. That’s a massive deficit. For 2026, they are slashing those expenses and trying to come up with a real business plan for the space. It’s a move that makes sense if you’re trying to keep the village’s General Fund healthy—which currently sits at a pretty solid 41.5% balance.
What You Should Do Next
If you live in Orland Park or shop here, these changes are going to hit your daily routine sooner than you think. Here’s how to stay ahead of it:
- Mark Jan. 19 on your calendar: This is the final Village Board vote for the Amazon project. If you have strong feelings about the traffic on 159th, this is the meeting that matters.
- Watch for the "Steady Blue": Remember that steady police lights mean "we’re patrolling," not "pull over." It’ll save you some unnecessary heart palpitations while driving at night.
- Check the Ravinia Extension: If you live near 161st or use Ravinia to bypass the mall, keep an eye on the construction schedules for that southern extension. It’s going to change how you navigate that side of town.
- Support Local: With a 229,000-square-foot giant coming in, your favorite local grocers are going to feel the heat. A little extra love for the smaller shops goes a long way right now.
The "Winter WondORLAND" festival might be over, but between the drone programs and the Amazon "superstore," things in Orland Park are anything but quiet.