On March 1, 2017, an accidental fire that started in the women's locker room of Cedardale Health and Fitness, Haverhill, Massachusetts, gradually burned through 50,000 square feet of the 180,000-square-foot health club. The blaze caused millions of dollars in damages and left the 46-year-old club's 4,000-plus members without a permanent place to exercise.
On Nov. 20, 2017, Cedardale broke ground on a new 140,000-square-foot club that will stand on the same Boston Road site as the old facility, according to a report by the Eagle Tribune.
Cement will be poured today, Jan. 11, for the building's foundation, according to Cedardale's Facebook page.
"The dream is unfolding," a Jan. 10 post said of the new facility. "Hang on everyone - it's going to be an amazingly exciting year."
When complete, the club will feature an elevated track; yoga and cycling studios; a warm therapy pool; four-lane lap pool; two basketball courts; 10 indoor tennis courts; and a lifestyle lounge with full-service food and drink options. Multiple fitness areas will also include cardio and strength equipment.
In late March 2017, Cedardale moved its operations into a defunct Boston Sports Club in nearby Andover, Massachusetts. The facility, located at 307 Lowell Road, has since provided Cedardale members with four tennis courts, four group studios, an equipment space, nursery and locker rooms while the company's executive team has worked on rebuilding the original site. At least 40 of Cedardale's former 150 employees have since been re-employed at Cedardale Andover.
It is currently undetermined as to whether the company will continue to operate Cedardale Andover after the new club opens, according to the Eagle Tribune.
“Because we've been in Haverhill for 45 years, our members have felt a profound sense of loss,” Cedardale Senior Manager Mary Lynch told Club Industry in March 2017. “We agreed as a team that bringing these people back together is of supreme importance."
Cedardale ranked No. 75 on Club Industry’s Top 100 Health Clubs of 2017, with an estimated $8.66 million in 2016 revenue.