Plans to bring a spa and wellness center to Springbrook Square in Naperville are in the works, but those behind the project have faced some early hesitation from city leaders.
The Naperville Liquor Commission Thursday tabled discussion on the proposed center until next year.
Commissioners said they need more time and information to understand what the venture would entail before they could dole out any city approvals.
The center, as proposed Thursday, would be known as the Naperville Sweat Lodge and be located at 1936 Springbrook Square. The development would include both a spa and wellness facility as well as a restaurant.
Petitioners Alex Loyfman and Mariya Glukhova have applied for a Class B liquor license — which are for establishments whose primary business is the service of meals — from the city. They also applied for a late-night permit to sell liquor after 11 p.m.
Naperville Sweat Lodge would be a franchise of similar establishments that the petitioners own and operate in Chicago.
Their existing facilities include both Chicago Bath House, at 1914 W. Division Street, and Chicago Sweatlodge, at 3500 N. Cicero Ave.
Chicago Bath House is a traditional style bathhouse that offers spa, sauna and tanning services. It also includes a full bar and restaurant, according to its website. Chicago Sweatlodge is a men’s only facility with amenities that likewise include saunas, a cold plunge pool, a lounge area, massages and a restaurant that offers liquor.
Petitioners want to bring something similar to Naperville, they said during a presentation to commissioners Thursday.
Naperville Sweat Lodge would be open to both men and women of all ages, though some parts of the facility would be co-ed and some would be gender specific, according to the petitioners. Like the petitioners’ other establishments, the hope is that Naperville Sweat Lodge would serve liquor and food alongside spa and wellness services, they said.
To do so, the owners imagine constructing a restaurant and kitchen on site that would stand separately from a bathhouse facility.
They want to expand their operations to Naperville to reach more customers outside of Chicago who might find it difficult to travel to their existing facilities.
“We looked at Naperville and we found that Naperville bridges a lot of gaps of where our clients are located,” Loyfman said.
The Liquor Commission in considering the license and permit requests, however, raised several questions.
Commissioners want more clarity about what the development would look like and where exactly food and liquor would be served in the proposed bathhouse facility. They also had several questions about whether nudity would be allowed anywhere in the facility, as municipal code does not allow nudity or semi-nudity on a premise that serves alcohol.
Loyfman assured that “there is generally no nudity” outside of locker rooms.
Commissioners also questioned whether Naperville Sweat Lodge had applied for the appropriate class of liquor license or if it needed a specialty license.
Ultimately, commissioners voted to table the matter until their February meeting. They discussed conducting a visit to one of petitioners’ existing Chicago facilities over the next few months.
Asked if he has a hopeful opening date for Naperville Sweat Lodge after Thursday’s meeting, Loyfman said, “It’s unknown because the process keeps shifting.”
Loyfman has not yet purchased the property at Springbrook Square he’s looking to acquire for Naperville Sweat Lodge but said, “We’re in the process.”
“The purchase is predicated on making sure that I can build the facility that I’m looking to build,” said Loyfman. At this point, he’s focused on “processes with the city, making sure they’re satisfied, understanding their restrictions and making sure that their restrictions comply with our business model.”
tkenny@chicagotribune.com
Naperville Liquor Commission tables discussion on bathhouse proposal
