.gif "A new two-story wellness and fitness center will double the square footage currently devoted to personal exercise space. Image courtesy of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.")
MENOMENEE FALLS, WI -- Tri-County YMCA, the third-largest Y in the greater Milwaukee area, is planning a $2 million project to remodel the club, which was damaged by flooding in July.
“While the damage to our center was unfortunate in the short term, this event actually presented an opportunity to implement improvements to the facility,” says Erin Ruenger, spokesperson for the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
The improvements will include larger locker rooms, including an enhanced and expanded adaptive needs family locker room, a new Spin studio and a two-story wellness and fitness center that will double the floor space the facility currently has for cardio and strength equipment.
Another new feature will be an exercise arcade, designed to attract younger members. The arcade will feature activity-based technology, such as fitness video games.
Ruenger also noted that although nothing could have been done to prevent the flooding in July, the new design will incorporate features and landscaping to help avoid any future flood damage.
“The rain was so intense in such a short amount of time that no engineering feat could have prevented a flood,” Ruenger says. “However, to prevent flooding in the future, a team of engineers, architects and contractors have put together a plan that we will look to implement in early 2011.”
Half of the expected project cost will be covered by the insurance payment. Of the remaining $1 million, a little more than half will be funded by cash the facility has in reserve, and the rest will come from donations.
Work is scheduled to begin in a month’s time and is expected to take around four months to complete.