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New athletic center debuts this weekend in Lombard

Lombard Park District has been serving residents for 90 years and in all that time it has never owned its own indoor basketball courts.

That will change on Saturday when the district opens its new Madison Meadow Athletic Center offering a gymnasium, fitness center and more at 500 E. Wilson Ave.

"I personally think it's a game changer," Director of Recreation Joe McCann said Tuesday. "To have a building like this is something that will be here for generations and for many, many families to use that they haven't had ... Having this will allow us to reach a broader audience and meet the needs of what people are looking for."

The district will celebrate the center's grand opening at 9:45 a.m. Saturday followed by an open gym for residents from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its first official day of business will be Sunday, July 1.

Here are nine things to know before the opening:

1. Creating the facility was a four-year process that cost about $9.2 million, coming in roughly $1 million under budget.

2. You can see the gymnasium from the main entrance. It features two high school regulation-sized basketball courts, which can be split into four smaller basketball courts, four volleyball courts and six pickleball courts. Batting cages also are available, as is space for indoor soccer training.

3. There are two multipurpose fitness and dance rooms. The rooms offer a video on-demand program called Wellbeats that members can use when the room is vacant, allowing them to watch a virtual workout video on big screen TVs.

4. The second floor features a fitness center offering free weights, weight circuit machines and cardio equipment. Each cardio machine has a TV attached so people can track their workouts, login to Netflix accounts or watch shows from DirectTV.

5. Accessible from the second floor is an elevated track that runs around the gym, where 12 laps equal a mile.

6. There is a kids room that offers baby-sitting services, allowing parents to drop off their kids while working out.

7. During the school year, the facility will offer open gym for students from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays after school.

8. The building features large windows that provide natural lighting and a view of Madison Meadow Park, which surrounds the facility.

9. The building is designed to allow for future expansions.

Executive Director Paul Friedrichs says the district is eager to share the new facility with residents.

"We think we're adding to what we can offer our residents, and its just something we've never had here in the community," he said.

For more information about the Madison Meadow Athletic Center, visit www.lombardparks.com.

  Twelve laps equal one mile on the track above the basketball courts. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  The fitness center will be one of the highlights when the Madison Meadow Athletic Center opens this weekend in Lombard. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  The Madison Meadow Athletic Center in Lombard, is opening Saturday. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  The new $9.2 million Madison Meadow Athletic Center in Lombard came in roughly $1 million under budget at 500 E. Wilson Ave. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  The Madison Meadow Athletic Center in Lombard is opening Saturday. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com