Northbrook Park District Hopes to Buy Five Seasons Club

The Northbrook Park District hopes to buy the Five Seasons Family Sports Club in order to turn it into a community recreation center. The board is expected to vote to put the process in motion at its meeting Thursday night.

The purchase of the club and a 99-year-lease on an 18-acre parcel of land it sits on on Techny Road would cost $20.3 million and would be contingent on voters approving the purchase in a referendum in November, explained Ann Ziolkowski, the Park District’s marketing and communications direction.

The club would likely need some renovations, which would add to the total cost. Ziokowski said the $5 million cost of the land lease would be paid for by park district reserves. Voters would need to weigh in on the $15.3 building purchase price tag plus any extra funds needed to renovate the space.

The district plans to hold a series of public meetings, some at Five Seasons, to gauge public interest in different possible plans for the space.

Ziolkowski says that based on two previous resident surveys, she expects that an indoor track will be a high priority, as will a place for fitness classes like yoga and Zumba. Residents have also been eager for more outdoor open space, and the roughly half of the 18-acre parcel that’s wooded could get trails and walking paths.

Ziolkowski said the public meetings will likely start in mid-May with the board deciding on the final dollar amount to put to voters by August.

Five Seasons approached the district about two years ago to see if it would be interested in purchasing the club, Ziolkowski said, but the discussions were kept confidential.

What do you think about this proposal? Would you support buying the sports club?

For more Northbrook news, sign up for our free morning newsletter. "Like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.