WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WDTN) – A recreation and community center in Washington Township celebrated the grand opening of a new space for its members on Saturday.
A ribbon cutting was held at the Washington Township RecPlex’s new fitness center.
John and Jeanne Borgert live in Centerville and come to the RecPlex nearly every day. They say they’ve been waiting for the new fitness center to finally open.
“It gets us out and it’s something that we can do, exercise with and everything,” Jeanne Bogert said.
“We kept coming here and we kept watching the progress,” John Borger said.
After noticing the original 1,000 square feet fitness room was getting a bit cramped, the RecPlex expanded it outward. The RecPlex, had a gym wasn’t being used to its fullest, so RecPlex staff decided to reimagine it into a fitness center.
Recreation Director Mark Metzger said this renovation was less about building something new and more about being resourceful.
“We’re reshaping things,” Metzger said. “We’re actually changing things that already exist, and the goal is to use them better.”
The original fitness center was 1,000 square feet, and now will be used as a weight room. The total size of the new space is 5,000 square feet. It has new workout equipment, a turf stretching area , and improvements to the climbing wall.
Washington Township Trustee President Dale Berry said this renovation is just one of the ways the RecPlex is improving the quality of life in Washington Township.
“Our outdoor walking trails, our ponds, our indoor facilities, we feel are a great asset to the residents of our community,” Berry said.
RecPlex member Elaine Fogel from Washington Township said she and her family come to the RecPlex to stay active, and her daughters participate in the day camps. Fogel said the new fitness center is a welcome change.
“To see it transform today with all the cardio equipment and a very modern fashion spread out, a lot more equipment, updated equipment, very bright and cheery and open, it’s so exciting,” Fogel said.
There are more plans for the future of the fitness center, including adding windows overlooking the park, more acoustics and even a separate entrance so people can enter the fitness center at different times of the day.