The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center is spending $850,000 on facility upgrades, an effort that will include moving both a childcare program and a free-weights area, along with substantial changes to the main fitness entrance, among other improvements.
Work has already started and is expected to take place through the summer, all of it at the facility at 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd.
The JCC came up with the plan after talking with both current and former members, taking into account the proliferation of competition in the form of small, boutique fitness centers and the organization’s strong inclination toward building community.
“We have a goal to not just be state of the art, but state of the heart,” said JCC President & Chief Executive Officer Mark Shapiro. “You may be purchasing this to be a fitness facility but you get much more.”
To make way for the work, fitness equipment will be temporarily moved to the Daniel M. Soref Community Hall on May 19, where it will be set up for patrons to use before it’s moved back, probably in late summer. Shapiro said this adds up to just two days of no fitness service – May 19 and the undetermined move-back day.
The improvement plan essentially has three components, the fitness center, the health center and the hourly childcare program.
Currently, the Peck entrance to the Habush Family Fitness Center has a welcome desk at the side of a narrow path. To Shapiro, this isn’t the kind of welcome that builds community, so the desk is moving and changing for a friendly, full-frontal greeting.
“This is actually a pretty tight, cramped space,” Shapiro said, during a Chronicle visit to the center. “We’re a community center, not just a fitness center.”
Front doors will be pushed out and a staircase will be removed for more spaciousness.
There is to be a more open feeling in the main body of the fitness center too, thanks to a new layout and renovations, with new flooring and fresh paint.
Wiring at machines currently gets kicked and damaged by mistake sometimes, so wiring will be more hidden and protected within the new design, said Health, Recreation & Fitness Director Carolyn Destache. The JCC is also investing in a new universal strength training system.
Plans also call for moving the stretching area away from its current spot in front of exercise machines, to help stretchers avoid feeling self-conscious in front of runners. Planners hope that replacing a back room’s free-weights with stretching mats will be for the best, providing more privacy for stretchers. Moving the free-weights to a more open area is to help it feel welcoming to all.
“This is going to take away the intimidation factor,” Shapiro said.
TotSpot, the hourly, drop-in childcare program, is being moved closer to the fitness and health centers, to make using it easier for parents. The JCC decided to get out of the spa business in December of 2015 and it’s moving hourly childcare into the former Teva Wellness Spa space, which is being renovated into a more open area.
The $850,000 investment also includes some work already completed, the renovation of the general locker rooms, with new flooring and changes for lockers and shower areas. This included the creation of lounge spaces, another nod toward the building of community.
“This investment reflects the core of our agency: our high standards, our big heart, our flexibility in service to our members, and our inclusive Jewish values,” Shapiro said. “We inspire Jewish journeys.”
“The strength of our JCC is on full display with this investment,” added Board Chair Alicia Sadoff. “In partnership with our board of directors, an incredible volunteer community, and a talented staff – our strategic investment assures that the JCC will continue in its mission-based success and remain a primary destination for wellness, education, and community services.”
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Beginning May 19, 2016, the JCC health center will close for approximately 4 to 6 weeks, part of an $850,000 renovation effort. For more information on a variety of improvements mostly set for this summer at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, visit JCCMkeImproving.org.
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