Council Weighs Proposal For Solidcore Location At One Winnetka

WINNETKA, IL — Winnetka Village Councilmembers sent a proposal for a Solidcore location at One Winnetka back for revision, with concerns about parking and impacts on retail neighbors.

Solidcore, a pilates excercise studio, has seven locations in Chicago, including one in Buffalo Grove. The studio is known for its high-intensity, low-impact workouts that focus on functional movements.

The proposed location would be located at One Winnetka and would have one classroom with 15 machines. At last week's meeting, the council expressed concern about the frequency of classes and the possibility of parking issues.

"The development itself, for sure, is going to generate more parking demand," Dan Gardner with the Winnetka-Northfield-Glencoe Chamber of Commerce. "But that same thing would happen if it were a restaurant use. So, to consider the project on its merits, its use would otherwise be acceptable from a parking perspective. That's an issue that you're going to get with any type of use that goes in there."

The owners said they often see clients who take classes with Solidcore stick around and go shopping or patronize other local businesses in the area.

Ultimately, the council asked the business to analyze class scheduling and propose a revised class turnover plan that leaves 15 to 30-minute gaps between classes during peak daytime hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The council also plans to prepare an analysis on commercial spaces at One Winnetka, do outreach with existing retailers and look into parking studies before the application comes back to the village for review.