Mount Prospect may finish village hall gym after 13 years

When Mount Prospect constructed its new village hall in 2003, it left some unfinished business - specifically, a workout facility planned for the building's lower level.

Plans for the fitness center, including men's and women's changing areas, showering facilities and restrooms, were shelved because of budget constraints.

This week, however, the village board discussed a proposal to finish the work, some of which would involve using public works employees to save on labor costs.

The cost of finishing the work is estimated at $157,960, which doesn't include equipment and machines to be purchased later.

Trustee Paul Hoefert expressed concern about lack of numbers for the workout equipment.

"It would be like saying that 'this squad car is going to cost $20,000. But it doesn't have an engine. I'm going to buy the engine later,'" he said. "I'm not against wellness. I'm not against people exercising and so on. I think we need to be more transparent about the total cost of this project."

Officials say the money needed to pay for the work is available in the village's risk management fund. The funding initially came from a $52,000 health insurance class-action lawsuit settlement and has since been augmented by rebate payments from the village's wellness program.

Workout facilities already exist for village employees at the fire stations, the police station and the public works facility. Village employees also get discounts at the park district's Central Community Center.

Most of the roughly 60 employees at village hall responded positively to a survey asking whether they wanted a workout area, officials say.

Because of the uncertainty over the cost of equipment and other extras, however, village trustees postponed a vote on the proposal until their next board meeting, scheduled for March 16.