CHICAGO (July 20, 2023) – Sterling Bay’s new fitness and wellness space at 600 W. Chicago, called TheFactory, is raising the bar on amenity offerings in the city. Through a partnership with Chicago-based lulafit, the developer breathed new life into an existing space in the property, bringing a boutique, luxury wellness experience to the building’s tenants. As a national leader in amenity consulting and management, lulafit understands the impact amenities have on office and building engagement.
“The Factory is not your average gym experience. We strive to make everyone feel welcomed and supported, no matter their size, shape, fitness level or wellness goal,” said Mike O’Hagan, senior genera lmanager at The Factory. “Inclusivity is a priority for us, and that’s reflected in the wide-range of offerings present in the space. It is a great example of what lulafit does incredibly well, and it stands as a testament to how well-informed, inclusive amenities will make the most impact for our clients in the long run.”
With more than 30,000 square feet of space, The Factory includes something for everyone. At only $35per month, users have access to a variety of fitness and wellness offerings, including a yoga studio and meditation suite, plus a recovery room with Therabody technology and spaces designed exclusively forHIIT, cardio, heavy bag workouts, and group exercises. The Factory also features a sauna, steam room, large turf installation and a full range of equipment. Through a thoughtful and holistic design approach, lulafit created a space centered on offering a variety of small fitness experiences all under one roof.
Built in 1908, the eight-story building at 600 W. Chicago formerly served as the Montgomery Ward catalog building until 2000. In 2021, with the building under the ownership and management of Sterling Bay, lulafitstarted designing a complete overhaul of the building’s existing fitness center. After an assessment of building tenants and the surrounding community, lulafit decided it would create a boutique gym experiencein the existing amenity space.
“We jumped at the opportunity to work on this project with Sterling Bay,” said Chris Schmidt, lulafit’s senior director of design and development. “600 W. Chicago is an iconic building in the city, and the task of rehabbing the existing space presented us with a huge challenge. We took an outdated, dark and overcrowded gym and turned it into a bright, restorative wellness destination that attracts users back time and time again.”
The response from building tenants has been extraordinary. The Factory saw more than 100membership sign-ups on its first day and almost 200 in its first two weeks. During its initial six months of operations, The Factory added 460 members to its ranks, resulting in more than 12,000 check-ins during that time. Data shows users utilize the space 3-5 times per week, which beats pre-COVID usage numbers by almost 50%.
“The feedback we’re getting from tenants about The Factory is very positive,” said Sterling Bay’s ManagingDirector, Jessica Brown. The lulafit team – throughout design, construction, and now with on-site operations – has become a trusted partner of ours. Their data-driven, authentic approach to creating wellness spaces has made a huge impact at 600 W. Chicago; it’s part of the building’s ‘secret sauce.’”
From Class A office buildings to company campuses that stretch a city block, lulafit believes properties focused on leveraging the right amenities are the ones with the brightest futures in a return-to-office world. For more information, visit lulafit.com.
About Sterling Bay
Sterling Bay is a national real estate company that boldly transforms spaces, industries, and communities across the country. Known for creating connected and collaborative spaces for world-class companies such as Google, McDonald’s, WPP, Pinterest, and Dyson, Sterling Bay is consistently recognized for award-winning projects that enhance culture and create economic opportunity. The firm’s team of 150 professionals manages a portfolio exceeding $20 billion in real estate assets across the creative office, industrial, residential, and life sciences sectors. For more information, visit sterlingbay.com.
