Temporary fitness location to be opened up for business to purchase
Longwood Real Estate Foundation purchased the ground floor of the Longwood Landings in the early months of 2016. In order to accommodate for the VP debate, Longwood moved the Health and Fitness Center to a temporary location at Midtown Landings. The re-opening of the original Health and Fitness Center was on Thursday, Oct. 27,
The fitness center will relocate to its original building on the south end of campus over winter break, according to Louise Waller, executive director of campus and construction.
“The fitness center is intended to move back up to our wonderful, glorious health and fitness center on campus and we’re all very excited about that taking place over the Christmas break,” stated Waller. “The plan is to return that to what it was originally intended, is retail space. We’ll be actively trying to recruit businesses to go in that space that will help support a lively and vibrant and active retail environment.”
The Longwood Real Estate Foundation took out a loan in order to purchase the space in which Longwood has debt on, according to Waller.
Waller added that whatever moves into the space after the fall semester, the renters will need to pay rent to support the ownership that Longwood has.
“We just don’t have the opportunity to or the financial ability to give the space away,” said Waller.
Matthew McGregor, dean of wellness, disclosed that he and some other individuals are working on a proposal to turn the temporary facility into a permanent location that is dedicated to faculty, staff and students to help develop better well being, but not redundant to what is done in the fitness center itself.
“Taking the model that they do with inner collegiate athletics and performance and how do we provide that for our non-inner collegiate athletic students that have that want or desire and so that is kind of the model that we would like to see stay over at the Landings,” said McGregor.
According to McGregor, the hope is to pitch this idea to the appropriate people for this idea before the Thanksgiving holiday and if it is approved begin the transformation of the temporary space during summer 2017 and have it open and ready for use by the fall 2017.
“We are developing a plan that I am hoping in the next week or two we have a little presentation that we’re going to be able to take to some people that we’re going to need to convince that that’s the best use for that space,” said McGregor.
The proposed plan will only account for about half of the current space, which is a total of 7,000 sq. feet as of right now, according to McGregor.
According to McGregor, there will be focus group in the future to see how well the temporary location did, so that students are able to provide feedback.
Waller disclosed that she is looking for students to share what they would like to see done with the empty space below the Landings in the months to come.
The temporary gym in the Longwood Landings.
