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Staff members at Luverne Aquatics and Fitness hosted a grand opening of the newly remodeled and expanded facility on North Blue Mound Avenue Monday.
Director Sam Honerman said she lost count of the visitors after 500. “It was awesome,” she said about the interest and attendance at Monday’s all-day event.
“I am fairly certain we went over 1,000 to 1,200. It never once slowed down, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. We gave non-stop tours, and the front counter help, sometimes five at a time, were signing up memberships and/or assisting with questions.”
The city of Luverne first started planning the project in 2016, carefully considering professional and community input and budgeting for the “quality of life” amenity to keep rates affordable for all residents to enjoy.
Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian congratulated all who were involved with process.
“We’ve had a great community that has graciously agreed to get this done,” he said at the ribbon-cutting.
“We’ve had a huge opportunity to capitalize on this moment. This renovation — 43 years ago it was built, and I hope we can last another 43 years. Thank you so much for being part of this today.”
Hoogendorn Construction broke ground on the $5 million project in April 2021. Improvements include an outdoor splash pad, new locker rooms, four family changing rooms, flat space rooms for group aerobic exercise, new office space and staff area, larger rooms for 24-hour weightlifting and aerobic exercise machines and a new mechanical and heat, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
24/7 fitness access
An updated spacious lobby connects to a 1,600-square-foot weight room with all new equipment, a cardio room with all new equipment and 1,500-square-foot multi-purpose cardio area, all accessible by 24/7 key cards.
The room has mirrored walls and large screen for video-aided classes, and six newly hired trainers will offer a range of classes. They include Tabata, Zumba, Bootcamp, Advanced Cycling, Silver Cycling, Cycling, Sculpt Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Sticks, Spinning and Seniors in Motion.
The open room can be utilized for its SMARTFIT System that offers more than 200 on-demand fitness classes that are all available 24/7.
Improved locker rooms and four family changing rooms
The new locker rooms (with 96 lockers with key code access) include several private showers and changing areas, handicap features, suit spinners (to dry out wet suits) and antimicrobial floor surfaces.
The women’s locker room is larger than the men’s with an extra vanity area with mirrors, a counter and seating. The facility now has four family changing rooms, which have long been in demand among members.
Splash pad
The outdoor splash pad will use reclaimed water that is sanitized and reused. There are a variety of water features for a variety of ages. For example, several rocks serve as “bubblers” for little ones who might be afraid to be splashed.
A new climate-controlled observation room is larger than the previous one and includes a play area for small children.
A party room, with an adjacent lounge area, can be rented just off the pool area, and a back lounge area offers a comfortable space (with a coffee kiosk) for adults waiting to pick up their children from swimming.