Gurnee Park District announces FitNation brand

Shannon Stolcers, Gurnee resident and former Gold's Gym employee, wiped away tears of happiness at Gurnee Park District's unveiling of their new fitness facility brand Oct. 16.

"Gold's Gym has been my family for 10 years," said Stolcers, who has been hired by Gurnee Park District. "I look forward to maintaining that whole connection. Gurnee Park District is a family, and Gold's Gym is a family. It's two families becoming one."

Susie Kuruvilla, executive director of Gurnee Park District, welcomed Gold's Gym employees to the district's new fitness facility: FitNation. Scott Crowe, superintendent of recreation for Gurnee Park District, said 44 Gold’s Gym employees have been retained.

Roughly three-fourths of the Gold's Gym employees will likely be retained, Crowe said.

The facility was purchased for $9.1 million using the district’s existing bonding ability and without a tax increase, according to a park district release.

FitNation and its brand references the property's location at 1655 Nations Drive, and also that it will belong to everyone of all nationalities, young and old, Kuruvilla said.

The fitness areas of the facility will undergo a brief shutdown from Oct. 16 through Nov. 6 for cleaning and repairs to be completed. Kuruvilla said the park district will eventually add personal touches of artwork and design – "Gurnee will feel it's their facility."

The new space will allow the park district to offer more classes and expand group exercise, Kuruvilla said. "Our yoga class at Hunt Club Community Center was very small. Now there will be more opportunities for people."

Kuruvilla said she's excited to have a facility closer to her home, and that other residents will probably feel the same way.

The Gurnee Park District finalized the purchase of the Gold’s Gym property Oct. 15, the end of many sleepless nights, Kuruvilla said.

New amenities will include a five-lane pool, saunas, steam rooms, multiple group exercise rooms and retail space which the district plans to turn into additional recreational programming space.

Park district fitness center members will have access to the new facility with their existing membership and all Gold’s members and surrounding community members, regardless of residency, are invited to join at resident introductory rates for a limited time, according to a park district release.

Kuruvilla said that the park district will not be able to offer the same deals and rates as Gold's Gym, because they need the facility to be successful and the old ways weren't successful before.

Tenants will operate in their spaces until their leases expire or other arrangements have been made. Patrons will still have access to these businesses during the gym shutdown. The hours of operation, group exercise schedule and childcare service hours will remain similar to Gold’s previous offerings for the near term.

Kuruvilla said “We are so excited to bring our recreational expertise to this facility and the plans are in place to make it successful going forward.  It is our vision to make this new facility the cornerstone for health and wellness in our community and beyond."

Gold's Gym's owner Dick Glass worked closely with Gurnee Park District to make the deal happen, Kuruvilla said. "His legacy will go on because we're taking [the facility] forward."

Jim Goshorn, park board president, said “We are pleased to provide such a win-win solution. Existing members still have a place to call their fitness home, local jobs have been saved, our community has quite an expansion in their recreational opportunities and our village avoids having a large building sitting shuttered in the center of town."

The board of commissioners began the project in fall 2012, after learning that there were no other potential buyers for the facility and that imminent business shut down would displace an estimated 8,000 fitness customers. The proposed addition of the indoor pool and gymnasium located within the facility aligned with resident feedback from the 2012 community interest and attitudes survey.

For more information about the new Gurnee Park District facility, membership or other information, visit www.gurneeparkdistrict.com/nations-project.