Polish Highlanders Alliance Considers New Cultural Center in Orland Park

The Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America’s local chapter is considering moving its base from the Southwest Side to the southwest suburbs. Officials in Orland Park see this as a chance to enhance cultural offerings in the village. On May 29, Mayor Jim Dodge met with representatives from the organization and around 200 residents at Signature Barn Banquet Hall to discuss establishing a cultural center northwest of Interstate 80 and La Grange Road.

Mayor Dodge expressed enthusiasm about the potential development, stating, “Anything that attracts a lot of people to Orland Park is good for our commercial base, it’s good for the community.” The Polish Highlanders Alliance is in negotiations to buy a vacant commercial property near the I-80 and La Grange Road corridor, which belongs to St. Xavier University. According to Krzysztof Zoltek, the organization’s secretary general, the current cultural center at 4808 S Archer Ave. in Chicago no longer meets the needs of a changing Polish American population.

It was built with community effort; there’s a lot of artisanal work put into that place. If we could wheel it off and move it to the suburbs where the community resides now, we would love to, but that’s not possible. – Krzysztof Zoltek

Zoltek mentioned that the organization has been searching for a suitable location in the southwest suburbs for months. Many members travel to the area for events, making a new location desirable. However, finding a site that accommodates a banquet hall for 1,000 people and offers enough space for outdoor activities presents a challenge.

The I-80 and La Grange Road site under consideration costs $3 million, with an additional $15 million needed for constructing the cultural center. Despite the high price, the organization remains committed to working with the village after engaging with the mayor and residents during the May 29 event.

We actually did get some offers, folks do approach us, obviously there’s sellers, but what’s probably even more important is what Mayor Dodge brought to the table, which is an opportunity to present ourselves in front of the community to speak with them. So that they get to know us as well, so there’s that dialogue and introduction to see if there’s a mutual fit. – Krzysztof Zoltek

Mayor Dodge, who grew up near the alliance’s current location on Archer Avenue, values the vibrant Polish American culture. He acknowledges that costs might pose difficulties but is willing to assist the organization through the approval process if they decide to move forward.

For any ethnic group that fully embraces being in America but also appreciates their cultural heritage, these types of things are really important, because that’s how you keep language and music and art and culture alive. Assets like that with events focused on those types of things are really important to give the community a sense of feel and place. – Jim Dodge