From our friends at The St. James...
The St. James Brings Premium Sports, Wellness and Active Entertainment Destination to Chicagoland
Chicago market key to national expansion strategy of exciting new active lifestyle brand
The St. James, the most exciting new brand in sports, wellness and active entertainment, announced today that it will expand to the Chicagoland market with the development of a 450,000-square foot flagship complex on a 40-acre campus at the intersection of I-94 and Half Day Road in the Village of Lincolnshire. The St. James will offer the most comprehensive active lifestyle experience in the Chicagoland market, featuring an unparalleled combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities and family centered active entertainment experiences.
Founded by Kendrick Ashton and Craig Dixon in partnership with Cain International, a diversified international real estate investment firm, The St. James provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for everyone - from toddlers to boomers, with friends and family - to pursue their passion for sports, wellness and active fun all under one roof.
With a mission to maximize human potential through the power of sports and wellness, The St. James’s flagship destinations provide a diverse and extensive combination of sports competition and training venues, transformative developmental programs and best-in-class coaching that will enable athletes and enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to immerse themselves in an unprecedented variety of sports - from ice hockey, soccer, lacrosse and baseball to squash, golf, basketball, volleyball, swimming and more. Sports competition and training venues include:
• Field House with a FIFA regulation-sized turf field - the only such field in the region - and 65-foot roof clearances for all turf sports
• Ice House with two NHL regulation-sized ice rinks for all ice sports and a hockey skills training center that includes both RapidShot and RapidHands skills training systems as well as a skating treadmill
• Court House with four full-length regulation basketball courts that convert into nine volleyball courts
• Pool House with a 50-meter Olympic regulation-sized competition pool for all water sports
• Hitting House with six batting cages and pitching machines for baseball and softball that converts into a multipurpose training venue
• Squash and Golf Center with eight international regulation-sized squash singles courts and seven golf simulators
• High Performance Center is 10,000 square feet of elite strength, explosiveness and agility conditioning and training equipment housed within the 50,000-square foot premium health club
• Gymnastics Center with a competition spring floor, deep foam training pits, Tumbl Trak, rod floors and in-ground trampolines
• Climbing and Bouldering with three stories and 6,000 square feet of climbing experiences
“Our goal is to bring the premium, dynamic and scaled experience that is The St. James to every major market in the country,” said co-founder and co-CEO Craig Dixon. “With our expansion to Chicago, people who are passionate about sports, wellness and active fun in two of the largest markets in the country will have an opportunity to pursue their passions in a wholly unique way.”
The St. James is more than just sports development, training and competition. It also offers premium health and wellness experiences, including:
• Premium Health Club with 50,000 square feet of state-of-the-art cardio and strength training equipment, spinning, group fitness and yoga rooms, a 10,000-square foot high-performance training center, premium locker rooms and childcare for member families
• Premium Spa and Rejuvenation Center nine well-appointed treatment rooms for massage, facial and other skin treatments, a cryotherapy chamber, a manicure and pedicure studio and a rejuvenation lounge
• Health and Sports Medicine Center featuring a best-in-class health care partner providing general, non-emergent health care services, sports medicine, sports performance and rehabilitation
“Chicago is the perfect market for our second flagship destination,” said co-founder and co-CEO Kendrick Ashton. “The region’s dynamism, size, density and economic strength combined with its unrivaled commitment to sports excellence, health and wellness and active lifestyles are an exceptional match for the broad, deep and premium offerings that are at the core of The St. James experience.”
The unprecedented experiences of The St. James take place off the field, court and ice with expansive opportunities for active fun and entertainment as well as exceptional food and retail experiences. These experiences include:
• Active Entertainment Center with 25,000 square feet of dynamic obstacle courses, zip lines, climbing structures and climbing walls, trampoline zones, virtual reality, a gaming theatre and party rooms
• Interactive Water Park with 6,000 square feet of exciting slides, massive water dumping buckets, long distance sprayers and other water-based play features, all indoors
• Restaurant and Market Café conceived in collaboration with a celebrity chef delivering a healthy and delicious cuisine
• Performance Boutique featuring a sneaker boutique, performance-oriented apparel, technology and equipment and The St. James branded apparel
“Cain International’s investment in The St. James and partnership with Kendrick and Craig reflect our strategic focus on highly differentiated businesses that align with sustained, high-demand consumer trends and the ongoing transformation of the real estate landscape,” said Jonathan Goldstein, CEO of Cain International. “The St. James’s expansion to Chicago is a critical step in our effort to build a truly national collection of premium active lifestyle destinations.”
The St. James expects to open in Lincolnshire in late 2020. For more information, click here.
About The St. James:
The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country, with a mission to maximize human potential by designing, developing and operating sports, wellness and active entertainment destinations, programs and events that engage, inspire and empower people to pursue their passions and be their best at play, at work and in life. The St. James aims to serve as the center of the universe in every community where it is located, featuring best-in-class facilities, programming, instruction, training and active fun in an environment that will engage, inspire and delight everyone who comes through our doors. The complexes offer the most comprehensive combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities and family centered active entertainment in the country. For more information, please visit thestjames.co.
About Cain International:
Cain International is a diversified real estate company investing in both debt and equity opportunities in the UK, US and mainland Europe. Founded in 2014, the company has invested over $3 billion across a wide-ranging portfolio, including $2.3 billion of debt financing and $800 million of equity across 1.8m square feet of office and retail space, 7,000 residential units and 7,000 hotel keys in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Cain International, a portfolio company of Eldridge Industries, is led by CEO Jonathan Goldstein and its US investment team is led by Managing Principal Eric Poretsky. Further information is available at www.cainint.com.
About the Founders:
Kendrick Ashton is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country. Prior to founding The St. James, he was a founding member and managing director of Perella Weinberg Partners, an independent, global financial services firm. Kendrick began his career at Goldman Sachs where he executed mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity financings for companies across a broad range of industries. He earned a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an AB from the College of William & Mary.
Craig Dixon is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country. Prior to founding The St. James, he was senior counsel at Smithfield Foods, a Fortune 250 global food business, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and was general counsel of one of its largest business units. Prior to joining Smithfield, he was a senior lawyer at McGuireWoods focusing on mergers and acquisitions and international project finance. Craig began his career as a law clerk to Honorable James Spencer of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He earned a law degree from the College of William & Mary, a BBA from the College of William & Mary and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.
