Rental offerings expand outdoor fitness amenities

With the Chicago summer weather in full swing, the amenity arms race has brought on a new offering in the latest luxury buildings as tenants prioritize health and well-being close to home. Designers and developers are responding to the trend by providing new fitness amenities that take the workout outside.  

At Related Midwest’s The Row Fulton Market, the luxury rental tower’s amenity suite embraces the idea of outdoor entertainment and wellness. The Athletic Club and Wellness Studio provide renters with access to two separate terraces with a combination of hardscape and grassy surfaces that can be used for outdoor workouts. Yoga mats and select exercise equipment can be brought outside by tenants to use during their workout.

Along the South Branch of the Chicago River, The Reed by Lendlease is both condos and apartments, with an expansive fitness center that offers wraparound views of the adjacent outdoor pool deck and 2-acre park to the north of the building. At the other end, the gym connects to an outdoor fitness terrace that is separate and can be used by individuals or groups.

Further south, 1000 S. Clark features an outdoor track along the perimeter of the building on the amenity level of the building. Complementing the 10,000-square-foot fitness center and indoor/outdoor pool, the track equals 1 mile after 6 laps. "The outdoor track was a true lifeline for our residents over the past few years when many recreational activities were limited, and it remains a hugely popular amenity today," said Diana Pittro, executive vice president of RMK Management Corp.

As a small sampling of new rental offerings, these developments represent the shift towards health and well-being in the amenity offerings within the rental market in Chicago. Outdoor amenities and fitness spaces are becoming more and more common across the city.