As Elgin works to extricate itself from restrictions governing the Eastside Rec Center, new use ideas floated

Elgin officials are working to untangle a legal agreement that’s preventing the city’s Eastside Recreation Center from being used for other purposes.

Vacant for the last three years, the building at 1080 E. Chicago St. has been in mothballs because of restrictions from an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant the city received in 2011 to help fund the its renovation.

The state deal says the building cannot be used for anything other than a recreation facility until 2034. However, the IDNR is talking with city officials about loosening that requirement so other uses for the building can be explored, City Manager Rick Kozal said.

Elgin bought the building in 2007 and leased it to a nonprofit called God’s Gym, whose mission was to create gang intervention programs. The business shut down in 2008 after a gym employee was arrested on charges he was running a large-scale drug distribution operation from the building.

After that, the city decided to use it as an Elgin Parks and Recreation Department fitness center, “marketing the facility as a lower cost, no frills fitness and recreation alternative to the higher-end offerings at the (Edward Shock) Centre,” Kozal said.

As part of that effort, they secured the IDNR grant for renovation work, he said.

It remained in use as a fitness center until 2020, when it was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a while, it was used as a COVID vaccination site in a partnership with the Kane County and Cook County health departments.

When the pandemic restrictions eased, a decision was made that the city would put its focus on the Shock Centre and keep the rec center closed as a cost-saving measure, Kozal said.

“The closing of the ERC during the pandemic forced a profound shift in the collective thinking that had dominated the community mindset on the need to have two tiers of indoor recreation facilities for the public,” he said.

The idea of having separate recreation facilities for people from different socioeconomic levels was “inconsistent with the city’s greater diversity, equity and inclusion objectives,” he said.

City officials wanted to find another use for the building, but the city was bound by the terms of the IDNR grant agreement.

“We’ve been stuck because it’s extremely complicated,” Mayor Dave Kaptain said.

Now that it appears the city might be able to extricate itself from the restrictions, discussions have started about finding new uses for the facility, he said.

One group that might be interested is the Elgin Salvation Army, whose current building is on Douglas Street on the city’s northeast side. The Salvation Army has outgrown its current location and officials have asked him about using the rec center for its Christmas toy giveaway, the mayor said.

The Salvation Army could offer something Kaptain has long seen as a need in the community, an emergency shelter for victims of natural disasters, fires or other emergencies. It would not be a homeless shelter, but a place for families or residents to go if they are temporarily left unhoused during something like the July 12 tornado that damaged several houses on the city’s west side, he said.

“It would be the best use of the building for the community,” Kaptain said.

It’s an idea that’s not yet been broached with the Elgin City Council, which may have other ideas for how the building could be used, he said.

“The city has had exploratory discussions with the Salvation Army about using the ERC for housing-related difficulties occurring from weather-related or other emergencies,” Kozal said.

Salvation Army officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Kozal said there’s no immediate timetable for anything to be decided on the building’s future use. Once the IDNR issue is settled, city officials might want to consider proposals from other agencies, he said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.