When Johnny Rodriguez looked at the midday crowd working out at the Centre of Elgin’s fitness center this week, this was his assessment: “You gotta spend money to make some money. That’s any business.”

Rodriguez was referring to about $600,000 the city spent last year for remodeling and new equipment at the fitness center. That has boosted memberships and, in turn, revenues to a projected $1.03 million this year, after a steady decline from $1.01 million in 2011 to $870,000 in 2015.

“I’ve been coming here since 2006, and it’s definitely more people now,” the Elgin resident said. “The stuff was kind of old, and now everything is brand-new.”

Centre memberships increased by 23.5 percent to 3,063 this year, with a nearly fourfold increase in “platinum” memberships, which give full access to classes, equipment and child care, Parks and Recreation Director Randy Reopelle told the city council last week.

“That investment was good,” Reopelle said. “It has paid off, and it will continue to pay off as we move forward. We are expecting these numbers to continue to climb.”

The Centre is part of the $8.7 million parks and recreation fund, which includes the Eastside Recreation Center, the Sports Complex, the aquatic centers at Wing and Lords parks, the Hemmens Cultural Center and Hawthorne Hill Nature Center.

The fund’s revenues include fees for programs and rentals, along with a $2.6 million infusion from the general fund that has remained unchanged since 2012 despite cost-of-living increases and staffing additions, Chief Financial Officer Deb Nawrocki said.

The fund will end about $450,000 in the red this year, to be covered by reserves, but that’s better than the $600,000 hole anticipated initially, Nawrocki said. Staff salaries and benefits, totaling $5.9 million, are the largest expense.

The 2017 parks and recreation budget also anticipates drawing down on reserves, which are projected at $1.2 million by the end of next year.

To increase revenues in 2017, the parks department plans to make a few changes to fees, Reopelle said. “We do that with the knowledge that our residents have a limited amount of discretionary money for their leisure pursuits,” he said.

For example, people will be able to rent the Centre’s Heritage Ballroom at lower rates Fridays and Sundays, not just Saturdays, when they also purchase a bar package.

Rental rates for Walton Island, a popular wedding setting, will increase from $160 to $225 per hour for nonresidents, with lower rates for residents. Rental rates for Festival Park will increase from $100 to $200 per event.

The city also plans to spend $135,000 in recreation capital projects in 2017, including $55,000 to renovate five softball fields at the Sports Complex. The remaining five fields were renovated this year with money from the Riverboat fund, Nawrocki said.