PALM BEACH GARDENS – With helmets and gold-plated shovels, members of the city council were among those who opened a resort-style health club downtown at the Gardens on Tuesday.
A ceremony for Palm Beach County’s second Life Time Athletic facility drew executives from the Chanhassen, Minn.-based company, as well as elected officials and representatives from ShopCore Properties, which owns and operates the shopping and entertainment center outside.
Construction is scheduled to begin in December on the three-story, 117,000-square-foot Life Time facility, which will be built on the southwest corner of Gardens Parkway and Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue next to the Cobb Theater.
It is expected to open in mid-2021, Lifetime Vice President of Development Aaron Koehler said.
A 426-space parking garage will be constructed west of the Health Club at the southeast corner of Alternate A1A and Gardens Parkway.
City Council approved both projects in June. ShopCore will build the parking lot.
Life Time operates 145 facilities in the United States and Canada, including one in Boca Raton.
“We’re really happy to be here at Palm Beach Gardens,” Koehler said. “It’s a dynamic and active community. It attracts young professionals and their families, and they tend to be our clients. »
Life Time offers a sports resort experience, which makes it unique, Koehler said.
Facilities include weight training, basketball and exercise classes; salon and spa services, including hair styling, manicures and massages; wellness services such as yoga, nutrition and personal trainers; a children’s area; a sauna and hot tub; and a “resort” style rooftop terrace with swimming pools, cabana and bistro.
The first floor would also include a café and a café-bar with a terrace.
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“It’s different from your typical health and fitness center,” Koehler said. “You can do your typical fitness activities like cardio, weight training, yoga, and Pilates. We have that inside the four walls of Life Time. But you’re also going to find a social and relaxing part of this facility that really makes it more of a resort and spa.
The new facility will be a welcome addition to Downtown at the Gardens, said Brian Donley, vice president of development and construction for ShopCore Properties. The Midwest of The Gardens Mall offers a mix of shopping, entertainment and dining.
“We’re thrilled to have Life Time here to join our retail businesses, restaurants and other lifestyle amenities that we have,” he said. “This is the first of many things to come.”
jwagner@pbpost.com
