24-hour gym proposed for shuttered Algonquin furniture store

Basketball courts, exercise rooms, gym equipment and an indoor pool soon could breathe new life into a shuttered Algonquin furniture store.

Developers have proposed repurposing the 40,000-square-foot building at 1621 S. Randall Road to accommodate 24 Hour Fitness, a California-based gym chain that is starting to make its way to the Midwest, senior planner Ben Mason said.

The site formerly housed Dania Furniture, which closed several years ago and has since been sitting empty in the Algonquin Galleria shopping center.

The village board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to grant a special use permit to 24 Hour Fitness, which would be open and staffed all day, every day.

Services offered by the health club include cardio, weights, exercise classes, cycling, personal training, strength machines, a pro shop, a sauna and a four-lane lap pool, documents show.

"This will be a good draw just for the Galleria Center as a whole," Mason said. "The village is very excited to have a large, national business come in to kind of help further catalyze that shopping center."

Also moving into the Algonquin Galleria is a full-service European grocery store, Deli 4 You. Construction is expected to begin within the month on a 20,000-square-foot building to house the deli and a few additional retail or office spaces, Mason said.

The 24 Hour Fitness company has more than 400 locations in 13 states, including 228 in California. The gym currently doesn't have any sites in Illinois or surrounding states, though representatives have expressed interest in moving into the Chicago area, Mason said.

The Algonquin fitness center could draw between 700 and 1,000 patrons each day, according to estimates from developer Hubbard Street Group. It will employ five full-time managers and about 50 part-time employees, including service experts, personal trainers and group exercise instructors.

Mason said the property has more than enough parking to accommodate the crowds. Village staff members will determine appropriate lighting levels in the parking lot so as not to disturb neighbors, he said, while still providing a sense of comfort to customers who choose to work out in the late night or early morning hours.

The gym isn't planning to add onto the building or significantly alter its exterior, Mason said, but the project will require an extensive interior build out, especially the pool installation. Developers say they're aiming for an early 2020 opening.

"This really is just a great spot for the business," Mason said.