 |
Business |
|
Cultural Events |
|
Education |
|
Government |
|
Health Care |
|
Recreation |
|
Shopping |
|
Additional Services |
Successes are readily visible from the Village’s largest employers including MI-JACK Products and South Suburban Hospital. Founded in 1955, MI-JACK has grown from three employees to more than 300 at its corporate headquarters in Hazel Crest and to more 1,500 employees with five regional offices, facilities in 17 U. S. cities and five international sites. MI-JACK began as a distributor of heavy equipment to railroads, ports, pre-cast concrete, and steel fabricators. Today, its construction equipment manufacturing includes forklifts; scissor lifts; serial work platforms; and hydraulic trucks, rough terrain, and industrial cranes, often noticeable during interstate construction in the Chicago area.
The Village’s other largest employer is South Suburban Hospital with more than 300 physicians plus support staff. The 270-bed facilities offers 24-hour emergency services, complete in-and out-patient services, including diagnostic, rehabilitation and surgical; family-birthing; sick-child day care center; skilled nursing units; complete wellness and education centers; and Club Vitality with more than 8,000 membership by seniors. (See Business Directory)
The Palmer Lake Business Park has been a prime drawing card in attracting new businesses to the area. The business park houses the corporate headquarters of Gierczyk Development, the developers of Palmer Lake: Graycor, a construction company, Southwest Community Services, a non-profit job training facility for the mentally challenged; Ruklic Screw, a wholesale distributor of nuts, bolts, and screws; Hoekstra Building and Automation, a manufacturer of computerized control systems; Bailey Controls, an assembler of heating and air conditioning controls; and Homewood Industries, a manufacturer of kitchen cabinets. The community has two financial institutions, Bank of Homewood and Financial Federal Trust and Savings. Also, the village supports a variety of restaurants and is the headquarters for Shop "N" Save, a Chicago-land grocery chain.
Hazel Crest has access to a progressive, active library offering computer and Internet Services, videos, audiovisual materials, programs for children and access to the collections of over 250 libraries through the Suburban Library System. The World Theater, community orchestra and theater productions are all available in neighboring communities. Community events include: Good Neighbor and Notable Business Awards, July 4th Festival, National Night Out Against Crime, Hazelnut Festival, Village Clean up Day, Holiday Gift for a Family, and beautification awards.
Children attend one of four elementary school districts serving the village and are able to continue their education in one of three high school districts. For those seeking parochial education, St. Anne’s in Hazel Crest offers an education with a Catholic perspective. Meritor Academy, a private institution, provides another option for elementary grades. Other parochial and private schools exist in the Southland region. Continuing education is readily available at Prairie State or South Suburban College. Governors State University, a senior institution offering graduate level work is located in nearby University park.
The Village is a non-home rule unit of government under Illinois law. The Village is governed by a president and six-member board of trustees elected at large to four year, staggered terms of office. Appointed by the board of Trustees, day-to-day operations are supervised by the Village Manager. The professional Village Department heads hold masters degrees in their respective fields and possess several years in hands-on experience. The Village employs a total of 86 employees, including 25 police officers and 10 full-time paramedic-firefighters. The Village’s full-time fire department is assisted by 28 paid-on-call firefighters, maintains two fire stations, provides paramedic services, and carries a Fire Rating of 4.
Hazel Crest residents enjoy easy access to high quality health care at South Suburban Hospital, the village’s largest employer with more than 300 physicians plus support staff. The 270-bed facility offers 24-hour emergency services, complete in-and out-patient services, including diagnostic, rehabilitation and surgical; family-birthing; sick-child day care center; skilled nursing units; complete wellness and education centers; and Club Vitality with more than 8,000 senior members. Hazel Crest offers a wide-variety of health care support services through Apple Home Health Care, Fitzsimmons Surgical Supply, Nursefinders, Physical Restoration Laboratories, Physical Therapy/Sports Injury Rehabilitation Services, and Rehabilitation Achievement Center, to name a few. The Imperial Nursing Facility is located in Hazel Crest, as well as several other nursing facilities in adjoining communities.
South Suburban Hospital offers a wide range of comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic and ambulatory medical services. South Suburban has a strong tradition of innovation in the use of state-of-the- art technology. The hospital offers such high-tech services as laser surgery, laser, angioplasty outside the heart, lithotripsy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), SPECT nuclear imaging, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, and vascular imaging.The hospital was first organized in 1946 by three doctors as Hazel Crest General Hospital, a 16-bed facility located at 171st Street and Dixie Highway. The hospital was renamed South Suburban Hospital in 1966, opened a new facility at its current site in 1971 and is now a full service acute care hospital, licensed for 325 beds. South Suburban Hospital also operates family health centers in Glenwood, Tinley Park, Frankfort, Hazel Crest and Richton Park. Click here for more information about South Suburban Hospital.
Residents have access to a quality park district offering residents many year-round programs and classes and more than 100 acres of park land for bicycling, jogging, team sports and picnics. Crestview Pool sports one of two water slides in the area. Lake Owens provides fishing opportunities and the new Fitness Center is available year-round for pursuit of individual fitness goals. Residents also have access to Cook County Forest Preserves, walking and bicycle trails, golf centers and courses in neighboring communities.
The Hazel Crest Center, Grenoble Square, Fountainbleau and French Village shopping plazas offer a variety of local shopping choices. The community is also located in close proximity to three major shopping centers, Lincoln Mall, RIVER Oaks, and Orland Square.
The Village provides water and sewer, street maintenance and building and zoning controls. The Village purchases Lake Michigan water from the City of Harvey to supply the Village residents. Sewage treatment is provided by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Village homeowners must contract with Village-licensed refuse collectors for garbage removal service. A compost facility is available near the Operations Center for resident use.
Last Revised: May 13, 2004 06:07 PM