The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago named Orland Park the “Village of the Year.” Photo Credit Michael Holtz – Chicago Tribune.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago (HBAGC) recently announced the winners of its Key Awards for Excellence in Housing, and it gave its first-ever “Village of the Year” award to Orland Park.

The HBAGC analyzed a community’s overall structure and production, according to a recent press release. The association pinpointed several reasons why Orland Park received the honor, including the Ninety7Fifty luxury apartments, the Build Orland Park Program that supports residential properties, and a surge in senior housing. The HBAGC also applauded Orland Park’s 100 percent transparency index rating, concern with renovating infrastructure, and innovative self-promotion via social media and citizen engagement.

Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin appreciated the recognition.

“This is a tremendous honor for Orland Park,” McLaughlin said. “For the village to be recognized for its planning and development is wonderful.”

McLaughlin received the award for the village at the HBAGC Key Awards Dinner Nov. 15. in Arlington Heights.

HBAGC Vice President Patrick Coveny, who owns the Hinsdale-based Arch Construction Management, said the association  sought to recognize communities that were setting positive examples.

“The Key Awards, over the years, have honored developments, builders, architects, homes, and apartments, but we have never honored an entire village,” Coveny said. “We wanted to honor a community that we thought was doing it right — promoting growth, creating a vibe that attracts all sorts of development — commercial, residential and multi-family.”