Proposal for Scout Motors dealership gets informal thumbs-up in Vernon Hills
A proposal to revive and expand the long-vacant Bally Total Fitness building fronting Route 60 west of Deerpath Drive as a build-to-order dealership for Scout vehicles has the informal support of village leaders.
Vernon Hills would be among the first locations in a planned national rollout by Scout Motors Inc., which is revitalizing the iconic International Harvester Scout brand.
“We have made a very specific decision to be a direct-to-consumer brand rather than go through the franchise dealer model,” Jigna Gopaldas, director of corporate architecture and construction, explained to the village board during a recent concept review.
In Vernon Hills, customers would view and test drive vehicles, which would be fully customized and built to order at Scout’s new factory in Blythewood, South Carolina, near Columbia, for delivery.
Scout originally was produced by International Harvester from 1961-1980 and is recognized as one of the first sport utility vehicles, according to the village.
Several electric models with a gasoline-powered range extender as an option are being introduced.
Bally’s closed in May 2012 and was succeeded by LA Fitness, but the building has been vacant for some time.
“As soon as I saw the address, I was excited,” joked Mayor Thom Koch.
Scout plans to reuse the existing 20,000-square-foot structure and build a 4,000-square-foot showroom on the northwest side facing Route 60 and a 7,000-square-foot service area on Phillip Road on the south side.
Gopaldas said the company is pursuing adaptive reuses of buildings in locations including Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver, for example.
Rather than having “huge amounts of inventory” in parking lots, the company plans to be more engaged with the community by offering weekend workshops where customers are taught to make do-it-themselves repairs and other activities, she added.
“Our endeavor is not to be your typical big car showroom-type company,” Gopaldas said.
Vernon Hills is proposed as a “Scout Workshop” described by the company as the backbone of the network with 90 locations planned in the U.S. and Canada, according to information presented to the village.
About 80% of the building would be used for service, with the rest for test drives, display, consultations and accessories. The architecture will be a work in progress.
“We want to come here and fit into the community, not come in and stick out like a sore thumb,” Gopaldas said.
MJK Real Estate Holding Co., LLC of Northfield is the contract purchaser of the property, which would need approvals for rezoning, special use and likely variances, according to Andrew Jennings, community development director.
Pending approvals, construction would begin in spring to be completed in late 2027 for an opening in early 2028.
mzawislak@dailyherald.com