Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— The Village of Park Forest announced the demolition of the long-vacant Blackhawk Tower Plaza located at the intersection of Blackhawk Drive and Indianwood Boulevard.
Once home to businesses including Jewel Grocery (known in the community as “Little Jewel”), Newman’s Pharmacy, Froggie’s Ice Cream, Faso’s Pizza, the Park Forest Music Conservatory, Tower Cleaners, and others, the 2.8-acre, three-building plaza had its ownership transferred to the village in 2015. Since then, the village has been trying to sell the property. As of November 2025, the village website listed the plaza for sale at $250,000.
Per the statement the village released and attributed to Andrew Brown, Assistant Director of Economic Development, the decision to demolish the structures was due to years of deterioration and mounting safety concerns. “Two of the buildings experienced roof collapses, and the cost to bring them back to safe and operational conditions was more expensive than constructing new buildings.”
Hopes for a Revitalization Never Materialized
In 2022, when the village was finalizing plans for the Somonauk Nature Adventure Park, which is located a short distance away, then Director of Recreation, Parks & Community Health, Rob Gunther, hoped that the park would generate new business in the Plaza. Hopes for businesses such as an ice cream parlor, a pizza restaurant, and a bait shop for the park’s fishing facilities, however, never materialized.
The demolition should take about a month. The cost of the demolition is almost entirely free to the village. The Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability’s Brownfield Remediation Program covers the cost. Brownfield sites are defined as abandoned or underused industrial and commercial properties. The only expense to the village is staff time and related documentation costs.
Impact of Demolition on Residents Should be Minimal
According to the village statement, aside from increased construction-vehicle traffic in the area, no road closures should take place during demolition activities.
The village believes that removing the existing buildings will make the property more attractive to potential developers. The location is zoned for neighborhood commercial uses, including restaurants, professional offices, retail establishments, day care centers, and other civic and institutional uses, such as parks or places of worship.
