By Meagan IngersonThe Daily Northwestern
Evanston Athletic Club will spend $1 million and add 10,000 square feet of space in an expansion to be completed by the end of the year.
EAC, which opened in 1980, will improve facilities and programming, feature a new Pilates studio, more children’s programs and a new front desk and entryway, according to manager Amy Whalen.
“It’s been in the works for quite a few years,” Whalen said. “It was all generated by the needs of the members – just listening to the members and trying to give them what they want.”
The expansion will occur in stages to avoid closing the whole facility, at 1723 Benson Ave., and all changes are scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
The first stage of the renovations started in early March when the club enlarged the windows on the building’s west side, Whalen said. Further additions will include a juice bar, an expanded cardiovascular workout area and a new yoga studio.
Whalen said the children’s programming, which is currently limited to swimming and climbing, will be expanded as part of the facility’s daycare to create a more well-rounded program.
“When you look around to what we’re up against, we need to include that,” she said. “While mom is exercising, her kid can be taking some kind of movement class.”
Front desk employee Lisa Versino said the renovations, particularly the new studios, will help relieve overcrowded classes.
“A lot of times there are problems letting everyone do yoga because it’s a very popular class,” she said.
Versino said the expansions also will help the club compete with LA Fitness, which opened at 1618 Sherman Ave. in October.
But Whalen said the renovations are not intended to help the club compete with any specific facility, adding that the Evanston Athletic Club had planned to expand even before LA Fitness opened.
“Any time you get two businesses side by side, you’re going to lose some people,” she said. “And we did a little bit, but we’ve already seen some of our members come back,” she said.
LA Fitness manager Kane Atkinson said he doesn’t expect the expansion to affect LA Fitness’s business because the clubs attract two distinct groups.
“Some people like their club, some people like our club, but most people like our club,” Atkinson said. “They’ve got a good facility, and they’ll be even better.”
North Chicago resident Carey Nachtigall, a member of Evanston Athletic Club, said he is eagerly awaiting the expansion.
“It just takes forever, and it doesn’t seem to be happening,” he said. “They definitely need more elliptical trainers; those always seem full.”
Reach Meagan Ingerson at [email protected].
