As many of you know, a volunteer Task Force has been working diligently to help establish a new, member-owned fitness center at the site of the former Leading Edge Gym on University Drive.
We are so grateful for the support and input that so many of you have shared over the past several weeks! While we will be outlining the details of our efforts after the holidays, we want to share some information now:
1) NAME
With over 90 thoughtful responses, the most popular vote in naming the facility is
2)PHONE
A business/info line has been set up. The number is: 413.548.7100. Ellen Kaufman has graciously agreed to field and answer questions.
3) FEE STRUCTURE
Our original provisional fee structure is being refined. Now the Basic Membership fee of $25/mo EFT includes full gym access PLUS all classes except Yoga/Pilates! Unlimited Yoga/Pilates are an additional $20/mo EFT. (A more comprehensive fee schedule is forthcoming which will include senior/students, couple and family rates.) Please note: all rates are provisional, and still subject to change as we get a more accurate estimate of the monthly operating costs.
4) PUBLICITY
Print advertising, mailings and press releases are all underway!
5) OPENING
Current plans are to open in MARCH 2011
At this point, all focus is on increasing the number of potential members who have signed up on the blogspot: http://ourgym.blogspot.com. We need former Leading Edge members as well as new members. Some of you may wish to be shareholders, and some of you may not. Either way, we need your show of interest by mid January in order to proceed. Securing the lease is critical to making the Gym a reality.
Please sign up now if you haven’t done so already, and tell your friends and colleagues!
Best wishes for the Holiday Season,
Susan Cinner, Ellen Kaufman, Chris Pilsner, Susan Rupp, Nina Sossen
Volunteer Marketing Task Force
I feel uplifted, somehow "unstuck" now that the task force has begun to make tangible and visible progress. I'm sure you all have been very busy and will continue to be. Thanks!!
ReplyDeletePlease invite all of us to help.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear that the task force is underway. I find the new fee structure interesting however. In the first posting about fees, the quoted # to open was 1500 members. That was when prices were "Monthly fees will be either $25.00 per month for a basic membership or $50.00 for full membership which will include all classes including yoga." The fees have now been changed to "Basic Monthly Membership: $25 month EFT includes full gym access PLUS all classes except Yoga/Pilates. Unlimited Yoga/Pilates only $20 month EFT in addition to basic membership." Under this new fee structure you would need more members in addition to the 1500 previously stated as needed. How do you expect to find those new members?
ReplyDeletePlease consider the guest passes at $10.00 a day for family members visiting.
ReplyDeleteThis is very important to many of us who would like to join as permanent members.
Thank you!
I am disappointed to see the new fees. I thought the extra fee for pilates and yoga was a bad idea before and I still do. I use the machines, and do yoga and pilates only, so I would be paying for something I don't use. Can you say something about your rationale? It seems unfair to me. How do you decide what classes to charge extra for?
ReplyDeleteGood news! There will be guest passes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest, hope you can join us!
Volunteer marketing taskforce
About the fee structure:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest! We are delighted to be able to roll out this great new pricing. In answer to your question, the initial financing of the gym isn't really dependent on the monthly membership prices, but rather on the total number of members signed up to be Charter Shareholders. The Charter Shareholders will be a mix of smaller ($50-$100) shareholder investors and larger shareholder investors.
Thanks again, and hope you can join us in creating this new kind of gym!
Volunteer Marketing Taskforce
Has there been any outreach to potential investors, or is Mr. Rhodes considering setting up only bank financing at this point? The momentum seems to be waning and I'm sure that potential members/investors would like to have an update on financing progress.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see the gym reopened, but I also know that people are starting to choose other workout alternatives and getting comfortable with their current choices.
Good news on all fronts! All potential larger shareholders have been contacted. Rest assured that much is happening and there will be updates soon!
ReplyDeleteRe: Disappointed about fees-
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment and your interest! The fees structure is based on the demand for specific classes and on the cost of providing these classes. Please note that The Gym is still in the early planning stages and no fees are final at this point.
My interest continues to peak. I, like others, are on a rather expensive month-to-month at other gym with fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI am somewhat concerned with the investment situation. I see individual members has having much more at stake than some hidden investor, and will reconsider my commitment more positively if all investors are on equal footing, and very negatively if any investor is given preferred shares.
Anyway, thanks for the task force continued work and continued responses on this blog.. and Happy New Year !!
Tom
Since there are now "larger shareholders" contacted, what will a $50 or $100 share provide in benefits? I would guess that the larger shareholders would not want to give up much of a stake in the new company to those only investing $50 or $100...
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you divulge how much a larger shareholder would invest and how the larger shareholders were approached/notified of the opportunity?
I just want to say thanks to all of those who are working so hard to resurrect the Gym. I think the fee schedule sounds reasonable considering all that is offered. Although I have settled into a new place, I am eager to switch back. I look forward to the opening in March.
ReplyDeleteWe are delighted to have members of the gym who have stepped forward to be larger shareholders in the gym corporation. These are not outside venture investors. Their participation will be as fellow members and shareholders.
ReplyDelete