I currently live at The Hall Lofts in the North Loop, EMBER, a private social and wellness club, is planning to open in Spring 2027.
An article about the project came out on October 7th, and yesterday (October 14th), residents received an email from management explaining the changes.
According to the email, EMBER will be taking over the first three floors of the Newell building, which currently include the arcade, bowling alley, full size gym, sauna, steam room, locker rooms & showers, yoga room, and coworking spaces. These amenities will close once construction begins, which is expected within the next couple of months.
Management says a new resident fitness center will be built on the first floor of the Falk building, and that our other amenities, including the rooftop terrace, pool deck, lounges, and coworking cafe, will remain available.
Personally, I’m pretty disappointed by this. One of the things that made The Hall Lofts appealing to me was the amenities and shared spaces available to residents. Now, we’re losing several of those spaces, and I’m concerned that the overall living experience will change.
I’m also concerned about the potential impact of EMBER on the building. From what I understand, the club will offer a full-size gym and around 100 classes a week. Considering that residents already complain about the ongoing noise from the current gym and bowling alley, I’m curious how much more noise and activity this new club and lounge could bring. How will the residents that have apartments on the first 3 floors be affected? I also wonder how having a private club operating across the first three floors will affect building access, security, and the number of people coming in and out.
I know we don’t have all the details yet, but these are things I’d like to see addressed before construction begins.
Management mentioned offering residents 50% off the EMBER membership initiation fee and monthly dues. However, I don’t think an optional paid membership necessarily makes up for losing amenities we already had access to as residents.
I’m curious what other residents think. Am I overreacting, or are others concerned about these changes too? Do you think management is doing enough to make up for the amenities we’re losing?
I’d especially like to hear from other current residents, but I’m also interested in whether anyone has experienced something similar at another apartment building.
https://northloop.org/members-only-wellness-and-social-club-opening-in-north-loop/