Arlington Heights rec center undergoing $4.8 million expansion

The Arlington Heights Park District is adding onto its primary recreation center amid a growth in fitness classes and children’s programming.

The two-story, 6,150-square-foot addition on the northwest corner of the Arlington Ridge Center, 660 N. Ridge Ave., will improve patrons’ experiences by alleviating the need to hold private classes in the large open gym, park district officials said.

The expansion will be built to the north of the rec center’s west side main entrance. Construction begins soon, now that the village board granted zoning approvals for the $4.8 million project Monday.

“Certainly this is a great problem to have, that you actually need more space because this has been so popular,” said Village Trustee Robin LaBedz.

The new space will include a first-floor multipurpose room intended for children’s programming and a second-floor private fitness room. Outside, the design will blend with architectural elements of the existing building since it will share the same material palette of brick and glass.

To make room for the expansion, a two-hoop outdoor basketball court will be relocated to the southwest corner of the building, then enclosed by decorative fencing of between 4 and 8 feet.

A playground will be removed and reinstalled just north of the new building space with upgraded equipment and new swings.

Inside the current building, renovations are planned to locker rooms by the pool. Two new private family changing rooms will be added, and current locker rooms will be reconfigured for additional changing space, as requested by users of the aquatics facility, officials said.

The building underwent a $17 million renovation and expansion project that doubled its size and reopened in late 2019. Now the park district's largest indoor facility at nearly 100,000 square feet, the rec center houses a double gymnasium, six-lane lap pool, activity pool, 12-foot diving well, warm-water pool, rubberized walking track and fitness center.

Construction on the latest addition is set to be completed in phases by early 2026.

Renovation work to the pool locker rooms will take place over the summer to minimize disruptions, since outdoor pools will be open, officials said.