Oak Forest Demolition
Welcome to the information page for the demolition of the Oak Forest Campus.
Overview of the project:
Cook County will soon begin demolition of over 50 buildings located within the Oak Forest Health Campus located at the southeast intersection of 159th St. and Cicero Ave in Oak Forest. The campus currently has over fifty buildings across the 153-acre campus. Services that these buildings provided in the past have been relocated to other facilities, and the vast majority of the remaining buildings are vacant. The project will take place over the next 3 years with a completion in mid-year 2025. The plan currently includes the abatement, remediation and removal of all but a few of the structures as well as the central utility plant and the tunnels beneath the campus. The project will be broken into multiple phases of construction.
Demolition hours of operation:
Monday -Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Fencing with mesh will be installed around all demolition activities for the duration of the project.
Demolition method:
The building will be demolished using hydraulic excavators fitted with appropriate demolition attachments. This proven safe and controlled demolition method takes buildings apart piece by piece without using explosives.
Dust control and air quality:
To mitigate dust and maintain air quality, watering will be utilized while the buildings are be taken down. Equipment will be set in place to ensure that water distribution is high enough and spread out enough to mitigate the dust that is created from the demolition process.
Truck traffic:
Traffic routing will be set up to minimize any disruption to the surrounding areas. With the two egress paths on campus, vehicles will be allowed to enter the west entrance only from the south, “turning right” into the site. Vehicles leaving the site through the west entrance will only be allowed to head north or “turn right”. Vehicles entering the site from the north entrance will only be allowed while traveling east “turning right” into the site. Vehicles exiting the site through the north entrance will only be allowed to “turn right” and head east. These traffic patterns will keep local traffic from being backed up.
Historic preservation:
The Cook County Bureau of Asset Management has identified structures within the Oak Forest campus to be safely removed and relocated for future education of the historic importance of the Oak Forest Campus. Additionally, the Cook County Archives and Records Office has completed extensive work to preserve artifacts, documents, and other important materials on the site. Any questions about historic preservation efforts can be directed to Audrey.Jonas@cookcountyil.gov.
Future plans for the site:
The Cook County Bureau of Asset Management will be engaging with the public for input on future site plans. To sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the demolition project or participate in community input for future plans on the site, please click here: