A vacant auto shop on Washington Street in Naperville will become a private lacrosse gym and personal training studio if the project can gain the needed approvals from the city.
Naperville resident Bret Bonnet purchased the building on a property north of the city’s downtown and told city’s Planning and Zoning Commissioners this week that he plans to use it to play lacrosse with his 9-year-old son. He’s calling it “Jax Lax.”
Bonnet said he and his son enjoy practicing in his back yard, but since a new house recently was constructed behind his, their play has “probably caused $10,000 to $15,000 of damage to my neighbor’s property in the last six months.”
“I did the math, and he’s got maybe 13 more years with me and it’s going to cost a lot more in damage to my new neighbor’s property,” Bonnet said. “So, I looked for a place within walking distance so when my son gets older, he can go and throw the ball and play lacrosse and not hurt somebody.”
The former auto shop at 655 N. Washington St. is about a half mile from Bonnet’s house. The vacant brick building sits on .2 acres, and there’s not much space to turn the current gravel parking area into a paved lot, said Anna Franco with the city’s planning services team.
That’s why Bonnet is seeking two parking variances — one that will allow him to build 9 spaces on the site instead of the 26 typically required for a fitness facility of this size and another that will allow the parking to be closer to the building than called for by code.
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Planning and zoning commissioners unanimously endorsed both requests, which now heads to the Naperville City Council for review and potential approval.
Bonnet called his plans for the building a “totally unusual use” and a “terribly improbable investment.” To help it make a bit more financial sense, he plans to rent the front 1,500 square feet to a personal trainer friend who conducts one-on-one workout sessions, he said.
Even if the trainer, the trainer’s client, Bonnet, his son and a few of his son’s friends all were using the space at the same time, Bonnet estimates there would be maximum parking demand for eight cars.
Commissioner Derek McDaniel asked whether the business model could ever change, potentially causing a need for more parking.
Bonnet said that’s unlikely. Ceilings in the building, built in the 1960s, are only 16 feet tall and the area is much smaller than a lacrosse field itself, which Bonnet described as “bigger than a football field.”
“There really isn’t much you can do in here other than some basic drills so for my purposes, there’s not a business model that could sustain,” Bonnet said. “This is definitely more of a passion project.”
If Bonnet sells the building, the new owner would need to comply with code requirements for parking because any potential variances would apply only to this use, Franco said.
Commissioners said Bonnet’s description of the project addressed the parking concerns voiced by a few neighbors. Several other nearby property owners expressed excitement for the building to become something other than a dormant shell with weeds growing through the door.
“The biggest improvement for Naperville is that it doesn’t look like this anymore,” Bonnet said, displaying an image of the current building for the commission to see.
Commissioner Allison Longenbaugh said she’s happy the building won’t be torn down.
“It’s been an eyesore forever,” Commissioner Mark Wright said, “so I’m very, very excited to see this building get put to use.”
Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.