New Gym to Open in Des Plaines

Des Plaines residents may have a new place to get fit this summer. Plans are underway for a new gym to open in Metropolitan Square, said Matt Kurucz, asset manager at World Class Capital Group, the Austin, Texas-based investment company that acquired the property through foreclosure.

While final details have not yet been finalized, and he couldn’t announce the name of the business yet, Kurucz said the new gym would occupy a larger space than the previous two gyms to occupy the development.

Flex Gym and World Gym operated in 7,769 square feet, Kurucz said. The new gym will occupy the entire southwest side of the retail development, he said, including the spaces formerly occupied by Coldstone Creamery, Spa di da and World Gym. It’s expected to be 11,619 square feet, Kurucz said, which was more consistent with current industry norms.

“All of these boutique gyms now are within that 11,000 to 15,000 square foot range,” Kurucz said. “You can get a lot more done that space than you can in 7,000.”

Personal training will be a larger part of the new gym, compared with the previous gyms, Kurucz said.

“That’s a big part of these guys’ business — hands-on personal training,” he said.

The entrance to the new gym will be on the corner, where Coldstone Creamery was, Kurucz said, which will be more visible than the previous gyms’ entrance.

“That old gym space was just tiny,” Kurucz said. “This will look and feel a lot more like a real health club.”

Rents Reduced

In the past, many tenants in Metropolitan Square cited inflated rent costs as a primary reason for closing their doors. Now that the development has gone through the foreclosure process, Kurucz said, rents for current and prospective tenants have been reduced.

“Rent has been reset to market,” Kurucz said.

Current tenants recently renewed their leases in Metropolitan Square, he added.