The City of Oak Forest announced a new elite gun club that will be 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. This unique facility is poised to become a significant attraction for potential regional and national shooting championships.
Facility Highlights Include:
- 30,000-square-foot facility
- Six long-range and 22 short-range climate-controlled indoor shooting bays
- Bow range
- Firearm and retail space
- Training simulator
- Full-service gunsmith shop
- Slated to open first quarter of 2015
The City of Oak Forest is pleased to announce that Eagle Gun Club will open an indoor firearms range with a retail store and seminar training rooms at 5900 W. 159th Street – the former site of Community Motors. The club aims to attract gun enthusiasts as well as regional and national shooting competitions by creating an inviting, upscale environment that is representative of an elite sporting club.
“The gun club is a great use for this large property that has sat vacant for the past six years,” said Community Development Director Adam Dotson. “There is a lot of potential for this site. We look forward to working with the developer to bring additional amenities that will have long-term benefits for our residents, visitors and other local businesses.”
The Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau also expressed its support of the project and the club’s likelihood to draw visitors to the area. "The Eagle Gun Club has the potential to become an important destination driver that will benefit the City of Oak Forest and the Chicago Southland through job creation and additional tax revenues," said Jim Garrett, President/CEO of the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The Eagle Gun Club will have the facilities to potentiality host state, regional and national championships and conferences."
The 30,000-square-foot facility will include meeting rooms for conceal/carry classes, safety seminars, instructional sport shooting, and self-defense training. It also will include climate-controlled indoor shooting bays (six long-range, 22 short-range), a bow range, firearm and retail space, a training simulator, a viewing area, a full-service gunsmith shop, and private member lounges.
Construction of the facility will follow the best practices of the industry as outlined by the National Rifle Association and National Shooting Sports Foundation. The facility’s design must conform to U.S. Department of Energy’s range design criteria. It also must incorporate sound reduction techniques, HEPA filters for exhaust fans, building materials that fully contain bullets, and a surveillance system that is approved by the Oak Forest Police Department. In addition, the owners must provide a plan for the safe removal and disposal of lead and lead dust, which may not be disposed of in the storm sewer or sanitary sewer.
“The owners have assured us that their operation practices will outperform the standards established by federal regulatory bodies,” Dotson said. “They are going above and beyond to build a safe facility that will be a positive presence in the community.”
Construction of the gun club is expected to begin in the fall. The owners hope to open the club for business in the first quarter of 2015.
Information is available through Adam Dotson, City of Oak Forest, adotson@oak-forest.org - 708-687-4050, ext. 1007.
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