Renovations continue at Callahan Fitness Center

By Reginald Rogers
Paraglide

	File photo Callahan Fitness Center will have a new look, once the $1.25 million construction efforts are completed in October. The current layout of the facility, pictured here, are among the changes that are expected to take place.

One of Fort Bragg’s oldest facilities will reopen in October as one of its newest – almost. The Callahan Fitness Center, which has already undergone a $200,000 makeover, is receiving and additional $1.25 million for improvements that are expected to further enhance its looks and capabilities.

Renovations on the World War II-era facility began in January. and were expected to be completed early March, but officials have decided that those renovations did not meet their expectations and they decided to invest more funding into the project.

According to Carrie Parker, Callahan’s manager, the building’s opening in October should be an exciting event for those who frequent the center.

“They’ve decided to upgrade it some more and to put in a sauna,” Parker said. “We’re redesigning the juice bar area, to make it more presentable and instead of the older split-level floors that were previously in the facility, now everything will be on one level for a more open gym.

Parker said Callahan will also receive cardio theaters, which allows patron to plug their headphones into the equipment and program them to which ever flat screen TV they want to watch while exercising.

In the old Callahan, once patron entered the facility, the cardio equipment was located to their immediate left. In the renovated facility, the newer cardio machines, such as treadmills, elliptical and stationary bikes, will be located toward the very back wall of the gym.

“Everybody has been asking for a sauna since we closed the first time,” Parker said. “Callahan used to have a sauna back in the day and (the patrons) have been wanting a new one. So I think they’ll be very excited.

“Plus with the upgrade with the treadmills and elliptical, we’re such a busy gym and the way that they’re doing it, we can add a couple more of those so we can service more people,” She added. “It will benefit everyone because now we’ll have 12 treadmills instead of 10 and eight elliptical instead of six.

Parker said the gym’s weight machines will also be upgraded as Hammer Strength will be the new prominent brand of weight machines instead of the somewhat outdated Nautilus equipment.
“At first it was going to be all Hammer Strength in the facility, but we’re trying to stick in a circuit of Nautilus,” she said. “We’re trying to make it so that it’s a little independent for everyone, from the retiree or someone who likes the free weights.”

Parker said the present setup includes the Nautilus machines in the center of the floor with most of the free weights, such as the bench presses and Smith machines, surrounding them on each side.

“Now we’re getting the plate loaded equipment,” she explained. “It’s pretty much going to be all plate loaded except for the Nautilus circuit.”

Parker said the restroom areas were renovated during the initial phase of construction, which took place earlier this year.

“They decided that they wanted to go through and upgrade the fixtures during that renovation process,” she said. “The toilets are all going to feature hands-free flushing. The sink will also be hands-free and we have new lockers.”

Parker said there will not be as many lockers because they will be replaced by additional hooks and more benches in the locker room areas, which coincides with the gym’s new open design.
“It’s going to be nice and the sauna’s going to be co-ed,” Paker said.