Orangetheory Fitness replacing Heroic Fitness in Hoffman Estates

An Orangetheory Fitness is expected to soon replace the newly shuttered Heroic Fitness in a 4,000-square-foot space in Hoffman Estates' Poplar Creek Crossing Shopping Center on Route 59.

Hoffman Estates village board members Monday approved the special-use permit allowing Orangetheory Fitness to move into the storefront at 2626 N. Sutton Road.

While little physical change is expected inside the building, Orangetheory operates somewhat differently from its predecessor. The 4-year-old Heroic Fitness focused on personal training. Orangetheory has a stronger emphasis on small group classes about seven or eight times a day, village officials said.

The new business owner already has been leasing a space in the shopping center to sign up future members, said Peter Gugliotta, Hoffman Estates director of planning, building and code enforcement.

He added that the different parking requirements of fitness centers are the main reason they still require the village board's approval of special-use permits in retail areas.

"Traditional fitness centers can be parking-intensive," Gugliotta said.

Even though there are new varieties of fitness centers that are more focused on a particular clientele, the village has so far preferred to keep evaluating them all on a case-by-case basis, he added.

Nevertheless, officials have discussed the possibility of making certain types of fitness centers generally permitted uses in some commercial areas through an update of the zoning code, Gugliotta said.