VASA Fitness to replace former Burlington store in Crystal Lake

The first VASA Fitness gym in the northwest suburbs is coming to Crystal Lake as the Colorado-based company looks to open its seventh Illinois location at the former Burlington store.

VASA Fitness is described as a “high-value, low-price operator of fitness clubs” with 61 locations across Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Nebraska, according to its website. Illinois locations include Joliet, Wheaton, Northbrook, Villa Park, Glendale Heights and Oswego, which opened last year.

Weights and gym equipment are placed in the middle of the building and surrounded by “boutique-style fitness” rooms, along with other amenities, including a pool, sauna, spa, hot tub, steam room, kid care area and basketball court, said Michele Dodd, VASA’s vice president of development and general counsel.

“It’s set up as a modular layout so that if something falls out of favor, it’s easy to come in and replace it,” she said. “For example, we used to have spin studios. Now people are not spinning as much, so that’s being replaced with mostly lifting and things like that.”

Some of VASA’s boutique offerings include a strength training class called “Studio LFT,” a yoga session known as “Studio Flow” and a high-intensity interval training class similar to OrangeTheory classes called “Studio Red,” Dodd said.

The big-box building at 6120 Route 14, which is about 63,000 square feet, became vacant after Burlington moved in September to its current location about a half-mile east at 5786 Route 14.

Membership prices range from $15 to $35 a month, Dodd said.

“What we strive for and what we talk about is being able to lift your grandchild, lift your groceries. It’s a functional type of fitness,” she said.

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 Wednesday in favor of a sign variation to allow for a red accent tower. The City Council will vote on the matter March 18. Commissioners were in favor of the business coming to the city, but many did not like the look of the exterior red tower.

“To me – and I don’t mean to insult you – it almost looks like a car dealership sign,” Commissioner Bill Gronow said. “I’m just really not in favor of that much red. [I’m] not necessarily opposed to what you’re trying to do, [but] that’s my concern.”