Don’t plan on working out at Good Samaritan Hospital’s fitness center in Downers Grove anytime soon.
Ground-breaking for the proposed wellness center near Lyman Woods Forest Preserve has been postponed at least until Sept. 11 as a battle between the Downers Grove Park District and Good Samaritan over the $14 million facility moves closer to a trial.
The hospital, which originally had planned to begin work on the project this summer, agreed to a continued freeze on construction at a recent court hearing. Earlier, a judge denied the hospital’s motion to dismiss the Park District suit.
Now the Pierce Downer’s Heritage Alliance, a local environmental group, has filed suit against the Village of Downers Grove and the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, alleging that both agencies violated a section of the Illinois Natural Preservation Act by failing to consult with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to determine the project’s ecological impact on the adjacent preserve.
The Downers Grove Village Council unanimously approved Good Samaritan’s plans for the multilevel fitness center in June with only minor revisions.
Downers Grove Village Atty. Dan Blondin said that the village had initiated the required consultation with the state on ecological issues prior to approving the hospital’s plans and “will fight the (Heritage Alliance) suit, absolutely.”
Last month, the Downers Grove Park District Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to sue the hospital to block construction of the fitness center, charging Good Samaritan with breach of contract related to environmental buffer zones between the proposed complex and Lyman Woods.
Environmentalists contend that the project would be harmful to flora and fauna in the preserve, which covers approximately 130 acres and is home to an oak savanna as well as a variety of furred and feathered species.
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Under the current plan, approximately 300 trees will be cleared to make room for a 100,000-square-foot building, a 385-space parking lot and a drainage pond on 8 acres of hospital-owned land bordering the preserve.