Itasca Panel Postpones Hearing On Rehab Center

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A planned public discussion on a proposed drug and mental health treatment center in Itasca never happened Wednesday night because of an overflow crowd that had shown up.

Haymarket Center wants to open a 200-bed facility in, what is currently, a Holiday Inn on Irving Park Road near I-290.

The Itasca Plan Commission had planned a public discussion of the proposal Wednesday night at Peacock Junior High School, but Itasca officials said 200-300 more people were still outside the building when it reached its max capacity of 1,350 people.

The Commission has re-scheduled the meeting for Oct. 2 at a larger venue to be announced later.

Beforehand, dozens of men, women, and children marched through downtown Itasca in opposition to the proposed facility. They chanted, “Small Town Pride” as they marched to where the meeting was to have been held.

Some opponents said they’re against the loss of tax revenue that would come with the closing of the hotel.

Drug prevention activist Laura Fry video recorded the march and posted it on social media. During her commentary on the video, Fry lamented, “Look at what all these people are teaching their children. All these people are teaching their children to be ignorant and to discriminate and hate. This is all about hate.”