Fitness Center's $80K Upgrade to Include Raised Flooring

The Kettering Fitness and Wellness Center will close for two weeks this spring to undergo a renovation and for installation of new fitness equipment.

The renovation will cost $80,000. The city is planning to invest $102,000 in new equipment over a two-year period - $57,000 was spent in 2013 and $45,000 is budgeted for 2014, according to Jim Englehardt, division manager for fitness, sports and special facilities for the City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.

This will be the first renovation at the fitness and wellness center since it was built in 2005, said Enghardt. The project follows upgrades made at the Kettering Recreation Complex three years ago.

The project includes new flooring to accommodate cable and electric for new cardiovascular equipment with personal TV screens which interact with smart phones or tablets, new carpet, window treatments and painting. New flooring will also be installed in other areas of the center.

"Part of the justification for the improvement is to put in a rubber tile floor underneath all the cardiovascular equipment that will facilitate the cable and power running to the equipment without creating safety hazards," Englehardt said.

Englehardt said the project will be managed by the city and city employees are expected to do most of the work. The center will close from May 12-25. Regular patrons of the fitness and wellness center can use the recreation complex 2900 Glengarry Dr., said Englehardt.

"These renovations and updates are really a result of the passion that our patrons have for fitness, so we're always just trying to stay up to date with the trends and amenities to meet what they're looking for," said Claudine Heizer, communications and marketing manager for the parks department. The individual viewing screens are an example of that, Heizer added.

Fitness generates about $800,000 annually for Kettering and the department has an operating budget of $766.500, according to city data.

The fitness and wellness center attracts about 100,000 visits a year, while the city's recreation complex attendance is about 200,000 visits annually.

Both recreational facilities offer fee-based memberships and are open to residents and nonresidents, said Englehardt. Resident adults pay $14.08 per month to access the fitness centers, while non residents pay $20.50, according to city data. Family memberships for the fitness centers range from $33.67 per month for a family of three to $41 a month for a family of five.

Englehardt said fees will not be increased to cover the project cost.

The 10,000 square-foot fitness and wellness center was built in 2005 at a cost of $714,653 and is at 3351 Shroyer Road adjacent to Trent Arena at Kettering Fairmont High School.