From Hackney's to health club? Plan surfaces for Lake Zurich site
The Lake Zurich spot where diners went for nearly five decades to fill up on huge burgers, onion loaves and other rich fare might soon be a temple to healthy living.
Life Time Fitness has approached the village of Lake Zurich about building a high-end fitness center where Hackney's restaurant operated at 880 N. Old Rand Road.
Life Time is proposing a three-story health, athletic and recreation center with two outdoor pools. The building would be about 125,000 square feet and feature cardiovascular and resistance training areas, as well as studios for cycling, yoga, Pilates and more. It also would include dance, art, music and tumbling studios for children.
An outdoor lap pool would be open dawn to dusk, and an outdoor recreational pool would be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer.
Mayor Tom Poynton announced the proposal Monday night as a village board meeting was wrapping up.
"It's good news for that site," Poynton said. "I think initially from what I know about Life Time it could be a good benefit for the neighborhood, but we'll see."
According to the project overview Life Time submitted to the village, the company hopes to create a luxury resort and country club-type experience by using expensive building materials and having large lounge areas for socializing and relaxing. There also will be a full-service salon and spa as well as two cafes, one indoor and one outdoor.
Representatives from Life Time will present the plan to the village board at its Aug. 21 meeting, as part of the village's courtesy review process.
Life Time also will host a meeting with residents living near the Hackney's site to detail the plans and answer questions. The neighbors meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the Lake Zurich Police Department, 200 Mohawk Trail.
Hackney's closed in March after almost 48 years in Lake Zurich. Developers came in with plans for a large gas station last year and an apartment-retail mix before that. Both deals fell through.
Hackney's history in the North and Northwest suburbs dates back more than 90 years when Jack Hackney and his wife, Bebe, served hamburgers and beer on the back porch of their house in Glenview during Prohibition, according to a company history.