LA Fitness plans to introduce a new location in Lake Zurich, replacing the closed Wickes Furniture building on the corner of Deer Path Road and Route 12, across from Wal-Mart.

Lake Zurich Board of Trustees approved an application last fall for building and producing an LA Fitness health club and fitness center through Oxford Real Estate Equities.

“LA Fitness will be renovating the current building that once was Wickes Furniture store, and developing it into a state of the art fitness center,” Jeff Halen, Village Trustee, said. “It’s exciting when any kind of new business comes to Lake Zurich, but this will be a place to accommodate anyone’s health needs.”

LA Fitness is one of the largest and fastest growing club chains in the fitness industry, according to the LA Fitness website.

Lake Zurich High School Students anticipate the new addition to the community.

 “The new health center sounds really exciting and has some new things that nothing in LZ has. Some of my friends are members at LA Fitness, and anytime I’ve gone with them it’s been really cool,” Don Elmore, sophomore football and lacrosse player, said. “I’m definitely going to want to go there in my free time now that it will be so close.”

Lake Zurich girl athletes also await the opening of the health center.

“I think that the sauna and spa could improve some of the girls athletic ability,” Nicole Murawski, junior girls soccer and tennis player said. “Especially if there is going to be personal trainers. Then athletes can work one on one to get stronger.”

Currently the business is working with the village of Lake Zurich to meet all construction requirements and regulations.

“At first there was some speculation to construction due to the homes that live so close by where the current building stands,” Halen said. “But the business worked with the residents to come up with a solution.”

The business plans to construct a fence to separate residential property from the health clubs property, according to Halen.

“Overall we predict this to be a great addition to Lake Zurich because it should bring in business from all surrounding towns, not just ours,” Halen said.

LA Fitness plans to have an indoor heated lap pool, spa and sauna, racquetball and basketball courts, weight training facilities, various yoga and cardio classes, personnel trainers, babysitting, and a juice bar, according to Halen.

Similar to the YMCA and Fitness 19, LA Fitness requires a membership fee of $9.95 per week for a single membership and between $25 to $29.95 a month for additional family members, according to the LA Fitness website.

LA Fitness anticipates opening in fall of 2012. Construction is planned to begin within the next couple of months.