Gainesville Health & Fitness is celebrating the completion of a multimillion-dollar transformation project with open-house events starting this Friday.
The gym’s main center, located at 4820 W. Newberry Road, will be hosting an open house weekend from Friday to Sunday. The weekend will consist of a dance party, fitness download and meditation day.
The renovations cost about $9 million over a five-year period, all implemented by the owner Joe Cirulli and designed by New York-based architect Rudy Fabiano. Cirulli founded Gainesville Health & Fitness in 1978 and currently serves more than 27,000 members from all around the Gainesville and Alachua County area.
“This renovation allowed us to stay ahead of the game and have cutting-edge technology,” Cirulli said.
New expansions to the center include separate boutique fitness areas that adhere to the customer’s needs, said Debbie Lee, senior director of marketing for Gainesville Health & Fitness. There is also a new cycling studio, new equipment and more space along with other amenities.
“Things change in life over time so we want to be able to be there every step of the way with things that are appropriate for whatever stage of life you may be in now,” Lee said.
Mark Canty, a UF chemistry sophomore with a specialization in biochemistry, said he is looking forward to the open house. He said he hopes that UF will work with the fitness center to offer discounts to students who want more opportunities to create a healthy lifestyle.
“Even though I’m not from around here, I’m still really excited about the new renovations,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s cool to use new equipment and interact with locals. It gives students a chance to see that there’s more to Gainesville than just UF.”
