McHenry will spend $37,280 from developer park fees to get a professional deep dive on its Recreation Center and the building’s future.

The McHenry City Council voted 6-1 – with Ward 4 Alderwoman Chris Bassi the lone no vote – to approve a contract with Indiana-based PROS consulting.

The company will perform a market analysis, looking at the nearly 10-year-old McHenry Recreation Center’s operations, position in the area recreation market and its financial performance, among other measurements.

Before the vote, Alderman Andy Glab, 2nd Ward, questioned how the city staff currently advertise memberships.

“We haven’t marketed the rec center in years,” Glab said. “Where do we advertise? How do we ... try to get more subscribers? It is not out there.”

Parks and Recreation Director Bill Hobson said all residents are mailed the parks and recreation program guide every summer, staff posts on social media about the facility and the city has paid for billboard and radio ad campaigns, Hobson said.

“We do a fairly extensive job of marketing,” Hobson said, including the current campaign – a free week of fitness this week to try it out classes and the facility – and more campaigns planned going into Black Friday.

Membership has gone from a pre-COVID-19 high of more than 2,000 to about 1,300 now, and the staff cannot continue to throw money into marketing without a plan, Hobson said.

The consultant approved Monday night has done the same analyses for other rec centers, Hobson said, adding the team will also look at avoiding duplication with other service and amenities already available in the McHenry area market.

But residents have been clear in previous responses that they want an indoor pool in future additions, Hobson said.

Bassi said she’d like to see McHenry residents use the municipal pool facilities in other towns, rather than McHenry building its own.

“McHenry [residents] can join at the same price as Woodstock resident,” Bassi said.

Hobson said he wouldn’t support a plan that tells residents here to go to another town, potentially spending other dollars outside of McHenry at the same time, Hobson said.

“That is tax dollars that they are spending somewhere else,” Hobson said.

The final report is expected in May 2026.