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 4111 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