Palatine approves health club expansion

Palatine officials have approved an expansion of a private health club that specializes in boot camps, yoga and personal training.

Ball4Training received a waiver from the minimum number of parking spaces required by village ordinance, allowing the expansion at 345 N. Eric Drive on the edge of downtown. Village council members approved the request this week.

Under the plan, Ball4Training will grow from 7,983 square feet to 10,717 square feet. The club sits in a manufacturing district that also includes a warehouse, offices and a high-end online consignment business.

Ben Vyverberg, Palatine's director of building and zoning, said officials concluded after a plan review that the expansion will not create parking problems for neighboring businesses.

"It's not a typical health club in that it's not open from early in the morning to late in the evening," Vyverberg said. "It's very clustered. It's not a drop-in and use the facility as you desire."

Co-owners Kasia and Todd Ball offer boot camps, personal training, yoga, boxing and other fitness activities. Ball4Training also has classes geared toward children and sports teams focusing on the speed and agility.

"It's just me and my wife and four or five trainers, so not a lot of employees," Todd Ball wrote to Palatine officials. "My wife and I do most of the training right now. Hopefully, as we get this expansion, we can get a few more trainers in there."

Ball4Training opened in late 2017. Todd Ball said the goal was to provide a place where families can get fit together, have fun and build bonds.

Palatine council members approved the fitness center's request for a minimum 44 parking spaces instead of having 75 as called for in the village code.