Vasa Fitness Stalls, But Plasma Center Opening

JOLIET, IL —Last year got off to a good start for Joliet as then-city manager Steve Jones announced that the vacant Ultra Foods grocery store on Larkin Avenue would be converted into a Vasa Fitness center.

Then came March. The deadly coronavirus pandemic hit Illinois, prompting health clubs, gyms and fitness centers all over the state to shut down, often for several months at a time. Health clubs, like hotels, were one of the industries that halted expansion plans.

As a result, the Vasa Fitness center did not open last summer at Joliet's North Ridge Plaza, as originally envisioned.

It does not appear that Vasa Fitness will open in Joliet anytime in the near future. The Ultra Foods property is not owned by Vasa Fitness. Rather, it's in the hands of a Seabrook, New Hampshire-based real estate holding company known as J & J Gove Development LLC.

While the Vasa Fitness may not happen, a portion of the former Ultra Foods building is being renovated into the future home of "BioLife Plasma Services."

According to its website, "BioLife Plasma Services is an industry leader in the collection of high-quality plasma that is processed into life-saving plasma-based therapies. We operate numerous state-of-the-art plasma collection facilities throughout the United States and Austria."