David A. Gonzalez Industrial Park

We want something to attract business.

You must sell Chicago Heights,naming a business complex won't bring in companies,offering tax breaks will.This Mayor must be more creative,we pay a marketing firm good money to advise how to bring in business.

Before Jason and Winston start one of their snide comment sessions. I should point out to Winston that naming a public building/development is usually reserved for politicians who are dead or at least out of office. Wanna reconsider your Gonzales suggestion?

Faith,

Your comment was deleted by mistake. Feel free to post it again. "New Heights' is a great suggestion, by the way.

Christopher Paicely
Chicago Heights Patch Editor

Huh. Where will the state get this money from?

Mark not sure of the marketing firms name but we are paying them 4000.00 a month.

Hey all,

Some interesting questions are coming up, although the purpose for this particular article is for people to suggest names for the industrial park.

How about "Southland Rising Industrial Park", or simply "Southland Rising"?

Great question Joseph.

Haha - Winston pipes right up with the mayor's name, for the park! SMH...
Mark is right - STOP with the political bickering on here!
Anyway I like "New Heights", too :)

Mark it is JPH consulting,they were hired to bring in business or try to bring in business this was passed 8 months ago. That is a lot of money for (?) This was to be on a month to month basis,with tracking to see what the city has gained from this.MONEY WASTED

It was a tongue-in-cheek comment. I like New Heights as well.
I also think some comments here betray a fundamental misunderstanding of how politics and government work. If Mayor Gonzalez can leverage his relationships with state officials to help the city, it is his duty to do so. It's why we elected him! Tax cuts alone are not the answer, and would do little to improve our budget crisis.

Just west of Ford Heights Industrial Park.

First, the area is not large enough.

Second, if this industrial park is named after any individual it should be

Charles Panici Park.

It would pay honor to a man that has done more for Chicago Heights than any other mayor that has served in that seat.

Yes, Mr. Wiggins, just what we need, an industrial park named after the most prolific criminal politician Chicago Heights has ever seen. From Wikipedia: "...Panici was indicted along with Gliottoni and Marshall on federal charges of racketeering, extortion and bribery.[2] He was also charged separately with witness tampering for directing a witness to lie to investigators. The indictment charged that the group extorted more than $700,000 in kickbacks from businesses in return for city contracts. Panici stepped down from his post as township Republican committeeman after the indictment. LoBue and Prisco each pleaded guilty to lesser crimes and agreed to testify against the others. LoBue would tell a federal jury that nearly every major city contractor paid kickbacks to city council members. He claimed that Panici was responsible for orchestrating the schemes. LoBue testified that Panici decided how much bribe money would be required to secure each contract, and who would receive the payoffs. One of these schemes involved monthly payments from Tocco to LoBue and Panici. Prisco and lifelong Panici friend Ralph Galderio, a former city employee, also testified that Panici was involved in bribery and received significantly reduced sentences in return for their testimony. Panici was accused of personally taking nearly $260,000 in bribes during his 16 years as mayor.

Panici, Gliottoni and Marshall were convicted in 1993 on all charges. Panici was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Gliottoni to five years, six months and Marshall to four years. Over the next several years, other Panici allies would also head to prison. Bloom Township Supervisor Robert Grossi was sentenced to four years in prison in 1996 for misusing township funds, and former Chicago Heights Deputy Police Chief Sam Mangialardi would get a 10½ year sentence for his 1995 conviction on charges that he accepted $10,000 monthly payments to protect the city's top drug dealer. Panici was not involved in either case.

I expected such a response ..... I will admit I did bot expect one that long.

Never the less...... The Ford plant and Chicago water is here because of who????

What ever wrong he was convicted of, cannot and should not, distract us from the good he brought to Chicago Heights.

I think New Heights is a good name because it will take Chicago Heights in a new direction - hence New Heights! Think of all the new things that can be acheived with a new direction/opportunity!

I prefer to live in a city that DENOUNCES corruption. I don't care how much a person contribute, when you are convicted of this much corruption and malice, he deserves NO SUCH honor of anything being named after him. I would hope the citizens of Chicago Heights would want better government than that. Apparently, Mr. Wiggins you don't mind a little corruption in your government.

I also would like to know how you attribute the Ford Plant to Panici since it was built and opened in 1956.

I guess that's a no on "Southland Rising"......lol.

I would never promote any corruption.

Ford plant was annex into Chicago Heights under Mr. Panici.

I realize this may upset people ..... but it is my suggestion for a name for an industrial park.

I did not mean to upset anyone.

How about the "Money Pit"

LOL! -Jason and Joel!
How about we not name it after ANYone - then it would appeal to more, in a broader sense :)

Thanks Christopher! Lol! I think 24 hour security should definitely be in place there as well, Im talking Armed guards....the eastside is no joke.

Made In America Industrial Park

I really like that Mary Kudlo!

The mayor thinks the jobs are coming back from overs seas. Well just in case he doesn't know the jobs coming back pay a lot less than the ones that left and these jobs have less benefits. But all these politicians think is quantity not quality of these workers life's

Won't ever happen. It will be another area like the old McDades,Peter Levin,and the land next to the old Kostas Deli empty and a eye sore. What are the plans with the old Hacenda Inn?How long will that stay a eye sore.

Here's the thing. At this time like most of the south suburbs, Chicago Heights is not a ideal spot for retail. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a Neiman Marcus to open on Joe Orr road.
The area is prime for industry. The State Street location is attractive with close rail, trucking and expressways. it is a way to create jobs and revenue.

I hope so Dan we really need it,this town is in need of something besides empty lots,overpaid employees,and consulting firms that don't do a thing.

HERE IS THE TRUTH, CHICAGO CIRCA, AL CAPONE, WAS CONTROLLED BY THE MOB, THEN AND FOR MANY MANY YEARS. IN ALL THAT TIME, THE HEIGHTS WAS THE PLACE TO LIVE, WE HAD EVERYTHING, SHOPPING, THE LINCOLN DIXIE, NORTOWN, THE BEST RESTAURANTS THAT ATTRACTED MOVIE STARS, THE MOB MADE SURE THAT IT STAYED THAT WAY, SURE, IF YOU MESSED UP THEY KILLED YOU, BUT VERY FEW PEOPLE MESSED UP AND YOU THINK AFTER THEY CLEANED UP DA HEIGHTS AND ARRESTED THE "CROOKS" IT BECAME A BETTER PLACE? NOT! OUR GOVERNMENT SCREWS UP AND MURDERS MORE PEOPLE THAN THE MOB EVER DID. THE HEIGHTS WAS CLEAN, I REMEMBER LIVING @ 228 E. 23RD ST AND LOOKING THEOUGH A TUNNEL OF TREES, LIKE A CAVE. BEAUTIFUL YARDS, HOMES AND GARDENS. LEAVE IT UP TO THE GOODY TWO SHOE POLITICIANS TO SCREW IT ALL UP. I'LL TAKE A DISHONEST MOBSTER OVER AN HONEST POLITICIAN ANYTIME, AT LEAST THE MOB HAD HONOR, POLITICIANS DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT HONOR IS!

The East Heights Industrial Park.

Ernie you couldn't have put it any better.

I don't care what a park is named! All I know is this, when I remember growing up in Da' Heights in the 70's & 80's when Panici was in office I never felt safer in this city. Ever since Ciambrone and the mayors after him took over they have ran the city down. It all started with busing in those people from the Chicago projects and it just got worse from there. I don't condone what Panici did during his time in office, but I know when he was in office I never had to worry about gangs coming onto the north side of the city. I went into Olympia Plaza last week & I felt like I was in a store from a broken-down ghetto area from the city. The store was not the problem, it was the ghetto hood-rats that were in there cussing and yelling all over the plaza. I use to love that plaza as a kid, now I do everything I can to avoid it. I want to leave this city, but I'm stuck, who's going to buy my house in this city? No one wants to move into this, they want to move out. My house has lost over $25,000 of its value since I moved in eight years ago and another house just went into foreclosure on my street, that will really help the value of my house.

Ed don't worry we have a industrial park coming,and more empty lots the Mayor continues to buy with money this city doesn't have. This city is 5 years away from being Ford Heights.

I just don't know what to say or do anymore about this city. This city is run down and beaten-up. No good businesses want to come here, why would they? It's not safe. It's not any one person's fault, it's a lot of people who are at fault. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but how did Panici and his people keep this city so safe and businesses thriving? Why were we able to have safe fests and fireworks withouts gang fights and gunshots? What happened? There is no safe area anymore in the city, any area is fair game for the gangs and hood rats. How do gang signs end up on the back of Country Squire and in the neighborhood behind it? How?!?!?! Because the home have lost so much value over the years that any scumbag who can write his name and get some type bs loan moves into a house, stays for awhile, rips up the place, stops paying whatever crappy government loan they had and then the house goes into foreclosure, the bank takes over and the another scumbag comes in, buys the house for even less and cycle starts over...ridiculous. Makes me sad to say I'm from here.

...For what it's worth, our small part of Saratoga Farms is pretty good..! We've been watching out / calling the police whenever there's any problem, and we nip it in the bud.. so now, it's pretty quiet and pleasant here! There are other such areas in the Heights here and there, that are also nice. The whole town is not trashed! Just sayin' :-D

City corruption park

Actually I've said a lot of bad things about the City but I don't see evidence of corruption in the sense of taking payoffs, etc, in the current administration-- only politics as usual and a lack of a vision.