200;000 square feet (two centers)
250,000 square feet (two centers)
MEMBERSHIP
17,000
20,000
10,000-12,000
10,000
16,000
RENOVATION COST
$19 million-plus
$28-$30 million, started 1997
$2.3 million, plus multi-million
rehab center
$33 million
$7 million (renovated older center
in 1987, and opened new, smaller
center in 1997)
MEMBERSHIP COST
3 levels include health club, ranging
Family, $620; 30 percent increase
over 3 years since renovations
Family, $722
Family, $531
Increasing about 5 percent next
year; family membership ranges
from $475 to $615
Included in membership; classes
extra
Additional cost, two plans: $500
and $221; racquetball and squash
free. to members
Now: $40 a month for fitness
members; $70 a month for health
club members (changes pending)
Director and associate director of
Jewish education
Looking for Jewish educator
Weinberg Judaic Enrichment
Center
SIZE
from $995/family to.$305/family
FITNESS CENTER COST
JEWISH PIECE
AmEmnEs
The ScroChhi My Jewish Discovery
Museum, a children's hands-on
interactive museum
Health and fitness center, 2 rac-
quetball courts, 6 tennis courts. 2
outdoor pooh, I indoor
Fitness center, tripled in size: 4 out-
; door tennis courts, 4 racquetball
courts; cafe in each JCC; indoor
track; second gymnasium; ballfield
complex and outdoor Little League
stadium; inline hockey facility; new
preschool
260,000 square feet (two centers)
405,000 square feet (two centers)
290,000 square feet (two centers)
Additional; older than 35, $350
Jewish Life Department
State-of-the-art fitness wing with
Children's fitness center for smaller
Separate health clubs, a separate J-
exercise studios, spa-like health
bodies, pools, racquetball, squash,
' plus area with separate locker room
updated equipment, upgraded lock- club locker room, expanded
and workout area; upscale locker
weight room, second gym; InLine
er room; indoor and outdoor pools
room, sauna, steam. massage; spe-
Hockey Center; expanded day care cialty classes and babysitting free
center; kosher restaurant; upgraded with health club membership; 16
Handleman Hall
racquetball courts in old facility,
none in new one
Sources: Bob Cahen, Richard Seligson, Cleveland; Sandra Crane, Atlanta; David Sorkin, Detroit; Sheryl Faintich and Steve Engle, St. Louis; Buddy Sapolsky, Baltimore
SURVIVAL
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12/20
2002
54
from page 53
completed in 2000 to their main building that also
included a 6,000-square-foot fitness center addition.
Sorkin has similar goals for Detroit. "We're cautious-
ly optimistic about doubling our membership with the
renovations," he says. "The current total membership
of both JCCs is around 10,000 members."
He forecasts that the largest growth in West
Bloomfield will be in the new fitness center and
executive health club.
The new wing, with its own entrance across from
the south parking lot, will double
the size of the health club facility
and include three specialized exercise
studios for stationary-bicycle "spin-
ning," for mind-body programs such
as yoga and for large group exercise
classes. It also boasts a spa-like
atmosphere in the new health club
locker room, state-of-the-art fitness
center and expanded weight room.
Babysitting will be nearby and have
expanded hours.
A second gym will be built, connecting to the
first, and the general locker room will also be over-
hauled.
Herb Gardner, 67, of Bloomfield Township, one
of two men on JCC treadmills recently in an other-
wise empty workout area, says, "I use the treadmill
three times a week and a personal trainer two times
a week. I look forward to crowds — and good uti-
lization of this facility."
Dan Stoller, 15, of Farmington Hills, a member of
BBYO, says, "We need to play basketball games here,
but there's not enough room now; they can't accom-
modate us." His friend Adam Kay, 18, of West
Bloomfield noted the JCC is the Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit's home court.
Stoller continues, "But with the new gym, we'll be
able to have more games and also practice here. And
I'm looking forward to the new locker rooms. We
really need them."
In response to member criticism about cleanlines
and staff, Sorkin says the new health club will have its
own janitorial staff, and an outside company will now
help monitor employee training. 'And we brought in
additional management staff to over-
see this area."
After the 1997-1998 interim reno-
vations, the JCC gained 500 mem-
bers. It lost more than 100 recently,
however, after racquetball and
squash courts were demolished and
because of normal construction
problems of dust, noise and temper-
David
ature changes.
Sorkin says the first round of reno- Sorkin
vations — which included building
the InLine Hockey Center, development of the
Sarah and Irving Pitt Child Development Center,
the renovation of Marion and David Handleman
Hall and Auditorium as well as the lobby and the
opening of the Milk & Honey restaurant — all have
reaped positive results.
No events took place prior to the renovation of
now-Handleman Hall, which currently hosts six to
10 events every month, ranging from bar mitzvah
celebrations to annual meetings, Sorkin says.
"We've had a tremendous response from the corn-
munity using Milk & Honey," especially the
Orthodox community.
The childcare center has grown from 120 to 170
students, and in-line hockey attracts 1,000 partici-
pants over the 75-100 members who once played
tennis there.
In addition, the Jimmy Prentis Morris Building of
the JCC in Oak Park recently completed a two-year
$800,000 renovation that included a new south
entry, an updated fitness center and adjacent Natalie
and Jacqueline's Athletic Field. The recently com-
pleted Prentis social hall was totally rebuilt.
Fund-raising goals for these two-
campus renovations started at $28
million but rose by $5 million.
Renovations are entirely part of the
Jewish Federation's Millennium
Campaign for Detroit's Jewish
Future. The $33 million construc-
tion budget has remained static and
has not expanded the past 18-24
Margo
months, says Mark Davidoff,
Weitzer
Federation's executive director and
chief financial officer. To date,
Federation has raised $31 of the $33 million.
"We're continuing to raise funds to fulfill the
budget," Davidoff says. "Our anticipatiot is that
those opportunities will be fulfilled by perspective
donors to round out the construction budget."
As the final phase of the renovation gets off the
ground,' Davidoff sees the fulfillment of goals set out
five years ago when the community first kicked off
the Millennium Campaign.
"It was launched with the understanding we were
going to raise funds to reinforce the Jewish