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Local and National News - Kootenai County, Idaho

World Gym expanding in PF

Posted: Monday, Jul 30, 2007 - 08:57:24 pm PDT
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By LINDA BALL
Staff writer 
LINDA BALL/Press
Heath Wiltse, general manager of the Post Falls World Gym, Chip Althen, partner in DART Club Management, Brian Scrabeck with Innovative Construction, Gary Retter and Jim Doty, partners in DART, take part in the official groundbreaking of an 11,200-square-foot addition to the Post Falls World Gym.

Ground broken Monday for 11,200 square-foot-addition

COEUR d'ALENE -- With 1,750 members signed up at the Post Falls World Gym, they're feeling the squeeze. Ground was broken Monday on an 11,200-square-foot addition to the facility which will include a basketball court, a new ladies locker room and lounge, tanning rooms and a 3,000-square-foot cardio deck.

Partners in DART Club Management, Chip Althen, Gary Retter, Jim Doty and Jack Tawney have three facilities -- World Gym in Hayden and Post Falls, and the Ironwood Athletic Club in Coeur d'Alene. Retter said member count for all three clubs is close to 9,000.

Post Falls general manager Heath Wiltse said the building they're in was originally a club called Ultra-Fit. World Gym in Post Falls started in a strip mall on Seltice, but moved into the current space next to Super 1 Foods in 2001, doubling its space in 2003 to 21,000 square feet. The remaining 7,000 square feet of the existing building is leased out to other businesses.

Althen and Tawney opened Ironwood Athletic Club 25 years ago as a racquetball and tennis center. Retter opened World Gym in Hayden nine years ago with the two, and Doty joined the partnership in 2001.

As the facility in Post Falls stands now, the cardio machines and weight training area share space. With the addition, a separate cardio deck will be created overlooking the basketball court, allowing the existing space to be devoted to weight training.

The basketball court will also be used for large classes. Wiltse said the industry average for attendance in a fitness class is 20 or less, but they average more than 30 and have had classes with more than 50 in attendance.

The basketball court will allow them to have as many as 100 people in a class with at least three instructors. The Post Falls World Gym is the only one with the popular BodyPump strength training class which also includes an entire series in a franchise of classes.

The current women's locker room is certainly clean and adequate, but the new one will include a lounge and sauna, giving a more spa-like appeal. A new lounge for all members will include a fireplace and televisions.

Brian Scrabeck with Innovative Designs will be the general contractor on the $2 million expansion. Innovative did the original build-out on the Hayden club and has done the tenant improvements on the Post Falls facility. Scrabeck hopes to complete the project by March 1, 2008.

Wilste said people can buy a punch card for the cardio classes at all three clubs, or purchase short-term or full memberships at any of the facilities. A full membership gives members access to all three clubs.

They are open every day except Christmas and New Year's all year, with limited hours on other holidays.

Expansion

• World Gym expansion in Post Falls to cost about $2 million.


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PBR wrote on Aug 2, 2007 3:56 PM:

" pabst blue ribbon is delicious "

Helping the Ida-Billies wrote on Jul 31, 2007 7:09 PM:

" I have gym in my 8,600 foot house. I just fell so sorry for you minimum wage locals I pay for the gym to keep you out of my trash cans looking for my table scraps! HA! Need 5 bucks for some Papst Blue ribbon? "

nah wrote on Jul 31, 2007 1:51 PM:

" All the John's in Cali are busy hanging with their pimps and ho's. "

To about time wrote on Jul 31, 2007 11:21 AM:

" I thought all calis had a gym at the house,what ya doing with all that house? ifa youa dont gotta gym,must be full of johns. "

well wrote on Jul 31, 2007 10:17 AM:

" The gym certain better expand - at least as much as people's rear ends around here have been! "

Niles wrote on Jul 31, 2007 9:26 AM:

" Private enterprise in action bringing health conditioning services for the paying public. This as opposed to the Kroc Center taking millions in public funds for a church/gym for health conditioning services for the paying public. You see, this can all happen without anyone digging into tax dollars. "

mary souza wrote on Jul 31, 2007 8:53 AM:

" Congratulations to you all. And you are accomplishing this expansion of a private business without using public tax dollars--Thank you! The item that jumps out at me from this article is that the combined memership for the World Gym in Hayden and Post Falls, and the Ironwood Athletic Club in CdA is close to 9,000...all totaled. That just happens to also be the number of memberships that the Kroc Community Center people predict they will need to break even on their overhead expenses. I hope they can do it. "

About time! wrote on Jul 31, 2007 7:48 AM:

" PF needs a nicer gym - none of the ones here have been nearly as nice as the one we left in LA and we've been missing them. Given the level of obesity around here, it's certainly needed, too. "

like to swim wrote on Jul 31, 2007 6:47 AM:

" Put in a nice swimming pool! "

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