INDECT Transforms Parking at Chicago’s Prestigious East Bank Club

INDECT USA, the parking industry’s leading provider of sensor-based parking guidance systems, has successfully collaborated with local partner RevCon Technology Group to complete their latest installation of ultrasonic parking guidance at Chicago’s prestigious East Bank Club.

Founded in 1980, the East Bank Club is Chicago’s premier fitness, sports and dining facility boasting over 11,300 members including former President Barack Obama and talk show icon Opera Winfrey. At 450,000 square feet and spanning two city blocks, the East Bank Club is one of the largest single clubs in the world. 

Located in Chicago’s stylish River North neighborhood, the East Bank Club has always focused on providing their members with an unparalleled experience and is constantly reviewing and enhancing their facilities to exceed expectations. The club is visited by over 2500 members every day, nearly half arriving by car and most preferring to park in the conveniently located indoor garage.

While members openly expressed their love for the club this affection did not extend to the parking experience. The indoor garage is narrow and tight with one main thoroughfare and 16 short rows branching off in pairs. There is a single entry/exit lane, meaning that cars exiting the building block cars from entering, routinely causing traffic jams. 

Traffic moves in a peristaltic fashion with drivers stopping at each intersection to check if there are any free spaces down a side row.  Each row is a dead-end forcing cars to reverse or perform a u-turn if an empty bay was not found.  To combat this problem numerous parking attendants were needed to direct cars to open spaces but this did little to speed the flow. 

Brian Doherty, Senior Manager at SP+, the parking management company responsible for parking operations at the East Bank Club knew there had to be a better way.  Having seen the INDECT parking guidance systems at MGM and been impressed with the improvements in traffic flow and congestion, he recommended INDECT to management at the East Bank Club. Acknowledging that member experience starts from the moment they enter the parking garage; the East Bank Club quickly saw the potential of a parking guidance system.

“We are excited be the first to showcase the INDECT parking guidance system here at East Bank Club.” said Elina Hechavarria, Facilty Manager at SP+. “Not only are the lights appealing to the eye, the system has many functions that can be used at any parking garage.”

According to Hechavarria, one of the most important features of the INDECT system is the reporting capabilities. “The reports are robust and include insightful information such as occupancy per hour, duration of stay and one of my personal favorites, a ‘live view’ display of the garage in real time.” she said.

As the only IP65 rated sensor on the market in the USA, the INDECT ultrasonic sensor is ideally suited to the Chicago climate.  According to Dale Fowler, President of INDECT USA, elevated moisture levels caused by snow and salt can be highly damaging to inferior sensors and result in internal corrosion and electrical failure.

“The INDECT ultrasonic sensor has been proven to work in these challenging environments giving accurate and reliable results every time.” said Fowler.

Working as a team with local partner RevCon Technology Group Inc, a total of 208 INDECT ultrasonic sensors and eight parking guidance signs were installed over a period of eight weeks. 

“It was one of the most challenging installations we have done to date,” said Scott Fisher, President of RevCon Technology Group, Inc.

“Although there were only 208 bays in the parking garage, those spaces turned over six times a day.  That’s over 1200 cars every day, making it impossible to close the garage. The whole installation had to be done as a live retro-fit.” he said.

Once the installation was complete, the effect was instantaneous. 

“It’s incredible,” said Fisher. “The traffic is completely gone.  There are no more back-ups, no stopping at every intersection, everything is flowing smoothly. You wouldn’t believe it’s the same place.”

Elina Hechavarria agrees. “Since the install, we have noticed a vast improvement in traffic flow, positive feedback from customers, more control over each space and an overall increase in operational efficiency. I would highly recommend the INDECT parking guidance system to any garage owner or operator.” she said. 

The indoor garage is just one of four parking garages that service the East Bank Club. If customer satisfaction is anything to go by, it may not be long before members parking in these garages also get to experience the benefits of parking guidance.

About INDECT USA 

INDECT is the leading provider of parking guidance systems. INDECT's systems combine the most advanced parking space sensors with industry-leading data management technology to offer drivers a safer, more convenient parking experience while helping parking owners operate their parking assets more efficiently and profitably. INDECT USA can be found online at www.indectusa.com

About RevCon Technology Group, Inc.

RevCon Technology Group, Inc. has over 40 years of industry experience in management, design, engineering and field support in the parking industry. Specializing in the design, sales, installation and maintenance of parking and revenue control systems in the greater Chicago area, RevCon strives to be the industry leader in customer satisfaction.

RevCon can be found online at www.RevCon.net

About SP+

SP+ is the leading provider of professional parking management services throughout North America.  They specialize in maximizing parking profitability for clients while at the same time making the parking experience a first-class, enjoyable one for parking consumers.  SP+ currently operates thousands of parking facilities containing over two million parking spaces in hundreds of cities across the United States and Canada.

SP+ can be found online at www.spplus.com

About the East Bank Club

Unparalleled in size, scope and range of services, the 450,000 square-foot East Bank Club has set the standard for first-class hospitality and excellence in the fitness industry.

The Club's facilities include a quarter-mile indoor running track; seven indoor tennis courts; three racquetball courts; a squash court; a 20,000 square-foot cardiovascular room; a 7,000 square-foot performance center; a free weight room; five aerobics studios; a Pilates and GYROTONIC® studio; physical therapy; a 60-bike spinning studio; four swimming pools (two indoor, two outdoor); two regulation-size basketball courts; an indoor golf driving range; a pro shop; a dry cleaner; a full-service salon and spa; a daycare center; a car wash; a casual grill; a gourmet deli; an elegant restaurant; catering facilities; a juice bar and a 60,000 square-foot sun deck.

The East Bank Club can be found online at www.eastbankclub.com