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<br />July 12, 1999
<br />
<br />Minneso'" &al Ert4lejouT1IIJI
<br />
<br />Page 5
<br />
<br />~
<br />The city of
<br />Maple Grove
<br />will soon
<br />shape up
<br />NORTHWEST PLANS
<br />NEW FITNESS CLUB
<br />
<br />The city of Maple Grove is about to '
<br />get its first health club, .' ,
<br />Last month, the city apl'{oved North.
<br />west Rae uet Swim and ealth <..:lub s
<br />aus to deve 0 a two- e . , .
<br />~are oat aCI 1~1 at WI e a ac cd
<br />to the CltV.S 111:\ ( SQuare toot commu-
<br />..11.i.1Y center. located east of the Weaycr
<br />LakeToadllnterstate 94 interChange,
<br />The club, which will be Northwest's
<br />II th Twin cities location. will operate as
<br />i IS own entity but share some amenities
<br />with the community center.
<br />"Maple Grove is a tremendous mar-
<br />ket:' says Jerry Noyce. Northwest.s
<br />regional manager. adding that he expects
<br />the new club to draw members from
<br />throughout Maple Grove as well as
<br />neighboring suburbs, including Cham,
<br />plin and Plymouth,
<br />The city plans to sell Northwest about
<br />5,5 acres of land for the development.
<br />Club owners also will have an option on
<br />an additional three acres for future
<br />expansion, says AI Madsen, Maple
<br />Grove ciry administrator. Neither North-
<br />west nor city officials will disclose a
<br />potential sale price for the land,
<br />
<br />" They're in the final
<br />stages of financing and
<br />they're out fOr pricing
<br />with contractors. "
<br />-Terry Just
<br />director of parh and recreaJion
<br />city of Mapk Grove
<br />
<br />Noyce says a cost estimate for the club.
<br />is not yet available as Northwest is still
<br />running the numbers. Northwest is work-
<br />ing with lender J,P, Morgan,
<br />"They're in the final stages of financ-
<br />ing and th~y're out for pricing with con-
<br />tractors," says Terry Just, Maple Grove
<br />director of parks and recreation,
<br />Typically, Northwest clubs average
<br />about 150,000 square feet ahd feature full,
<br />service exercise equipment. swimming
<br />pools and sports facilities. However, the
<br />Maple Grove club will be significantly
<br />smaller and will not contain tennis/racquet,
<br />ball courts or an indoor pool. The club will
<br />share the community center's indoor pool,
<br />while the Northwest facility will feature an
<br />outdoor pool that will be available to users
<br />of the conununity center.
<br />"TIllS will be a new design," Noyce says,
<br />adding that plans call for a full fitness cen,
<br />ter with an indoor running track and aero-
<br />bic studio, a pro shop. snack bac and
<br />locker rooms with full.length lockers.
<br />The outdoor pool is scheduled to open
<br />in June 2000 and the club is expected to
<br />
<br />REPORTS
<br />
<br />open in September 2000,
<br />Plans for the Northwest facility in Maple
<br />Grove were first discussed in 1996, but the
<br />club was unable to line up the financing
<br />(MREI, 9.16-96), At that time, the propos'
<br />al called for a 170,000 to 180,000 square
<br />foot facility to be developed on 15 acres,
<br />which would have been the chain's largest
<br />club,
<br />The club owners at the time. Harvey
<br />Ratner and Marvin Wolfenson, were frus,
<br />trated that their lenders would not advance
<br />new money for expansion. They ended up
<br />Selling the chain of clubs in March 1997 to
<br />Denver.based Club Sports International,
<br />which also owns Aagsh!p Athletic Club in
<br />
<br />"Mapk Grove is a
<br />
<br />tremendous market. "
<br />
<br />-Jerry Noyce
<br />regional manager
<br />Norlhwest RacqUl!t Swim
<br />and Health Club
<br />
<br />Eden Prairie,
<br />As for future expansion, Noyce says
<br />there is nothing definite, but "we're look.
<br />ing at possibly expanding in the Twin
<br />Cities market." He will not disclose possi,
<br />ble locations,
<br />In 1996, the club also had plans to devel,
<br />op a facility in Oakdale, but once again the
<br />lack of financing put a halt to that project.
<br />Noyce says OakdaIe is still a possibility,
<br />but he wilJ not comment further, .u, lVolf
<br />
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