Lattof YMCA, Des Plaines
Des Plaines is using public acquisition, a low-interest redevelopment loan, and a private operator to return a long-vacant recreation complex to active...
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Des Plaines buys the former Lattof YMCA for a return to recreation
A unanimous city vote sets up a public-private rehabilitation of the recreation campus that served Des Plaines from 1961 until the pandemic closure of 2020.
May 4, 2026
Lattof YMCA, Des Plaines
Updated 2026
Des Plaines approved a $1.85 million purchase of the former Lattof YMCA and plans to pair the property with a private development team rather than market it as a teardown site.
Des Plaines has chosen acquisition as the first step toward bringing the Lattof YMCA back into public life. On May 4, the City Council unanimously approved buying the 4.27-acre property at 300 East Northwest Highway for $1.85 million.
The vote links municipal ownership to a proposed private redevelopment partnership. Instead of clearing a specialized recreation campus and beginning again, the city wants to revive it as a regional destination with sports, community, and hospitality uses.
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The city is treating the closed recreation campus as infrastructure to recover, not land to erase.
What The Council Approved
The purchase price is below the city's $2.2 million third-party appraisal. Council materials describe interconnected buildings that have occupied the Northwest Highway site since 1961 and served residents through fitness, swimming, sports leagues, and other programs.
The redevelopment concept pairs the city with the Nicholas Family of Companies and related operators. Announced terms include a proposed 20-year city loan at 2.5 percent to support rehabilitation.
Why Reuse Matters Here
Recreation complexes contain pools, gyms, locker rooms, and mechanical systems that are expensive to restore but equally expensive to recreate. Preserving the campus keeps those sunk physical and social investments in play.
The project also tests whether a regional destination can retain meaningful local access. A successful financial model and a successful community reuse are related, but they are not automatically the same outcome.
What To Watch Next
The purchase closing, final redevelopment agreement, building-condition findings, construction budget, and operator commitments will determine how much of the announced vision survives implementation.
Public review should track membership costs, resident access, retained facilities, new hospitality components, and the schedule for returning the long-closed campus to regular use.