Dolton reaches tenant agreement to reopen Rucker Athletic Facility; village projects net savings

An unidentified speaker at a Village of Dolton meeting said the village has reached a tenant agreement to reopen the Rucker Athletic Facility, which will replace the Melanie Fitness Center and is scheduled to open Jan. 1.

The speaker said the village did not sell the building; instead, a tenant has agreed "to fix up this facility," committing an estimated $150,000–$200,000 in repairs, pay $5,000 per month in rent and cover the water bill. "The tenant has agreed to fix up this facility," the speaker said.

According to the speaker, the village previously lost about $300,000 per year while operating the fitness center; after it closed and sat dormant the annual loss dropped to about $90,000. The speaker characterized the new arrangement as shifting the municipal position from a continuing loss to a projected net benefit. In the meeting the speaker summarized the math as converting a $90,000 loss into "a 60 plus thousand dollar gain, net $150,000 per year savings for the village," and described the figures as approximate.

The village did not present a line-by-line financial statement in the remarks. The transcript supplied approximate ranges and a projected annual outcome but did not show underlying contract terms, an independent financial analysis, or the tenant's identity and qualifications. Financial figures and the repair-cost range cited in the meeting were framed by the speaker as estimates and should be confirmed with village staff or the lease documents for precise accounting.

The most immediate procedural step described at the meeting was reopening the facility under the tenant agreement; no formal vote or ordinance was recorded in the transcript.