The Shenandoah City Council approved a new development project by a 3-1 vote that will bring a gym, coworking space and more than 400 multifamily units to the city, with several conditions. Megan Eaton, real estate development manager for the development company Life Time, detailed the project, which will use 11 acres of land located on Six Pines Drive between Research Forest Drive and Lake Front Circle, at the city’s Feb. 27 meeting. According to Eaton, construction of the facility will begin later this summer. The main structure of the fitness center is expected to be complete in two years and the residential factor of the project will take an additional year. “We’re excited to be bringing the location to Shenandoah because the demographic and lifestyle exhibited by this community exemplify the vision of our healthy way of life company,” Eaton said. Once completed, the complex will feature a cafe, lounge, spa, pools, fitness equipment, trainers, classes that keep up with fitness trends, coworking spaces with built-in memberships and 420 multifamily residential apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. Residents will also get memberships included with their housing fees, which will range from $2,220 to $3,500 per month. The city council approved by a 3-1 vote the special-use permit to begin construction, with the condition that Life Time development does not put parallel utilities in the nearby forest preserve and there is not a 5 percent reduction in the tree canopy. Councilman Michael McLeod cast the dissenting vote, saying he feels there are too many residential projects coming in at one time. “We have a number of apartments already coming in and we’re talking about adding another 420 units,” he said. “That’s going to add a constant flow of traffic to that area … I think it’s going to be a burden on our city.” Former mayor Wes Stephens also expressed concerns about the project during the public comment portion of the meeting. During his time as mayor, he said, citizens did not want multifamily units on the west side of Shenandoah. Stephens also said the project will also bring heavier traffic to the area. “It seems like a quality organization, I like what they’re proposing here,” Stephens said. “On any given day, that’s a lot of extra pressure on those intersections. I think it’s one of those things I think we need to put an emphasis on and come up with a solution before it’s a problem.”