Crystal Lake has entered an agreement to potentially purchase the shuttered Northwestern Medicine Health and Fitness Center to turn it into a community center.
This comes after the Crystal Lake Park District passed on the opportunity last year.
The 80,000-square-foot facility on 8 acres has a purchase price of $4.2 million. That same price was proposed to the park district. The health center at 200 Congress Parkway closed in 2022 because of declining memberships. A Huntley location remains open.
Two other Northwestern-owned vacant lots are included in the purchase: a 4.4-acre lot next door at 300 Commonwealth Drive and another 2-acre lot at 415 LT Memorial Drive.
The City Council unanimously approved entering the purchase agreement during Tuesday’s meeting. That agreement includes a six-month “feasibility period,” where staff can look into further financial details.
Evaluations include structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing features; environmental and site conditions; the appraised market value; potential building modification costs; and architectural feasibility.
“Key questions will be answered as to the cost of facility modification and potential operation costs,” City Manager Eric Helm said.
Exactly how the building would be utilized is still up in the air and will be figured out during the 180-day feasibility period. Mayor Haig Haleblian envisions a community center that could be home to a multitude of activities. What he definitely doesn’t want is for it to be a fitness facility.
“We’ve got to dig into it first,” Haleblian said. “This is just securing the property, and that’s it.”
If the city chooses not to proceed after the period, the contract is terminated, and any deposits are returned, Helm said.
“The purchase is being paid for using existing cash reserves and will not require a tax increase,” he said.
Some residents at the meeting raised questions if taxes would be raised in the future to support the operations and maintenance of the facility.
“We all pay taxes too,” Council member Ellen Brady said. “We’re just as conscious of that as everyone else. So it has to be able to work. It has to fit.”
Crystal Lake Park District Commissioner Cathy Cagle said she was “thrilled” that the city is purchasing the property. The park district walked away from the deal after unanimously agreeing in executive session not to go forward.
When the Crystal Lake Park District was mulling the purchase possibility, Haleblian was vocally supportive of the idea. He urged the park district to buy the property, and said he had a private donor willing to cover $1 million of the costs.
It is unknown if that money is still on the table. Haleblian told Shaw Local that the city isn’t looking into it at the moment.
As for next steps, the city plans on gathering public input. Council members echoed the desire for residents to help the city brainstorm.
“Please engage us. Show up,” Council member Ian Philpot said.
Updates on the project will be posted on the city’s website, Helm said.
“All of this is going to be very transparent, very open with the public,” Haleblain said. “We’re not hiding a thing. I really want to stress that.”