Local Voices

Goldfish Swim School, Inflatable Sports Dome Approved by City Committee

The two recreation facilities still need several more approvals.

Both a proposed Goldfish Swim School on Dempster and a proposed 68,000-square-foot inflatable sports dome on Oakton have been approved by the city’s Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee, allowing them to move forward to the other committees whose approval they need to become realities.

Goldfish Swim School is hoping to open a location at 2008 Dempster St. Goldfish opened its first pool in 2006 in Birmingham, MI, according to its website. It was founded by husband-and-wife team Jenny and Chris McCuiston, and now has 16 locations, primarily in the Midwest.

There’s a Goldfish Swim School on Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. Lessons start for kids at 4 months old.

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The sports dome proposal is for the parking lot behind the GFS Food Store at 2454 Oakton Street. It would provide a 200-foot by 325-foot multi-purpose play surface that could be divided into different fields for soccer, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, golf and other activities, according to city documents. It would also be available for party rentals.

The dome is inflated and does not require internal columns.

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The conversation at both meetings mentioned traffic concerns at the Team Evanston soccer facility and a desire to avoid a similar situation at either of these new sites. The developers assured the committee that traffic wouldn’t be a problem with their projects.

The Site Plan and Appearance Review Committee’s recommendation goes to the city Plan Commission, which goes to the Planning and Development Committee, which then finally goes to the City Council for a decision.

Do you want to see these recreation facilities built in Evanston?

 


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