It will take about six months to complete, but the La Grange Park District is planning to ring in the New Year by starting construction of a new fitness center.
The park district has approved construction of the $2.2 million fitness center at 536 East Ave. The construction will be overseen by W.B. Olson Inc. of Northbrook.
The district will receive a $987,000 state grant to pay for part of the cost of the 15,000-square-foot fitness center. The district learned in the fall that the Park and Recreational Fitness Grant that had been put on hold had been restored, which enabled the project that was delayed for a couple years to move forward.
“A lot of people are asking for it. Everything got held up for two years,” said Dean Bissias, park district director.
Bissias said the new fitness center, which will be constructed in an area that formerly was used for storage, will have a variety of amenities.
“It’s going to have cardio and weights, a yoga room with a heated floor and a spin room,” he said.
The park district has not yet decided how much it will charge residents for membership. Bissias said the district is considering $24 a month for a single membership and $48 a month for a couple.
“We’re still playing around with that, but it shouldn’t be far off from that,” he said.
Construction is expected to begin Jan. 9 and take six to seven months to complete, he said.
When Gov. Bruce Rauner took office in January 2015 he issued an executive order freezing millions in grants for parks and recreation projects including those partially funded through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development and construction grants. That funding was released in 2016 after the state legislature approved a temporary budget.
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