UPPER LEVEL FLOORING WORK | October 15, 2008 |
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Our entire upper level hallway and lobby will begin to be prepared for a new flooring surface. Starting as soon as Friday, October 17 you will see our Ryan Company crew begin pulling the rubber and carpet nearest to the elevator. They will accommodate our members in getting access to the area they need. We are going to attempt to grind down the flooring glue that exists during our working hours. If it is too disruptive, we will move to a later shift in the day.
The floor work triggers additional lobby work. We will be moving our two desks to temporary areas in the lobby in the coming two weeks. Our staff will assist you as you arrive with finding your way around the temporary space.
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CO-ED SAUNA HEATER REPLACED DUE TO WATER DAMAGE | October 15, 2008 |
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After attempting to repair the sauna heater unit multiple times, it finally quit completely. We have a new heater ordered and we hope to be up and running by Monday night, October 20.
We need to remind our members that this is intended as a dry sauna. Excessive water use is not needed and does damage the heater's electrical systems.
Thank you.
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MEN'S LOCKER ROOM CLOSES FOR ONE WEEK | October 15, 2008 |
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We have had complaints that our men's locker room shower and drying area holds standing water. We are investing in a new epoxy floor and plumbing so to solve this issue.
Thursday, October 16 the shower area will be closed. Men will be able to access the day use lockers, but they will have to use the boy's locker room for showering.
The men's locker room will be fully open on Friday, October 24.
Thank you for your patience!
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UPPER EAST SIDE FITNESS CENTER OPENS FRIDAY 10/17/2008 | October 15, 2008 |
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We are happy to announce that we are ahead of our construction schedule and will re-open the Upper East Side Fitness Center this Friday at 5:30 AM. The upstairs center will include:
- Ellipticals, treadmills, stepmills, stairmasters and bikes have been placed in front of the windows
- The entire weight machine line has been refurbished
- Three new flat screen televisions in front of the cardio equipment
- Pilates reformers replaced the free weight area
- Two additional stretching areas
- New improved heating, ventilation and cooling system
- New energy efficient lighting
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POOL CLOSURE | October 03, 2008 |
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Construction Alert: Uptown Pool Closing Oct 6-24
Dear YWCA Health and Fitness Members,
We approach another phase of our Greener Greater Uptown project that affects our Uptown Aquatic Center. This phase of the project begins next Monday, October 6. Below are changes that affect you as members:
The Uptown lap pool and whirlpool close entirely October 6-24, 2008
The co-ed sauna is also closed for mechanical repair October 6-8, 2008
The lap pool and whirlpool reopen on Saturday, October 25, 2008
Please refer to our website for aquatic schedules at our other two sites http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/healthfitness/schedules/index.asp
The resulting changes will bring you a more efficient air handler system, energy efficient and improved lighting, and code required tiling. We are also working to deliver you a refreshed upstairs fitness center. The upstairs fitness center will reopen October 24th and our team is working very hard to beat that date.
Thank you again for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Sue Duoos
Uptown General Manager
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| September 22, 2008 |
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Midtown Track Closes due to construction | September 18, 2008 |
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The Midtown walking and running track is suspended over the floor of the Minneapolis Sports Center where two new wood courts are being installed. The final coats of sealant and paint have caused us to entirely shut down the track for our members. The scent can be hazardous to people with respiratory issues.
The Midtown management team expects the Midtown track to reopen next Monday, the 22nd of September.
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Aquatic Center Shut Down October 6-24, 2008 | September 18, 2008 |
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We are still on target to shut down the entire aquatic center from Monday, October 6-Friday, October 24. The following items are slated to occur:
- New roof top unit to be installed for HVAC installation
- Code required tiling to be complete on spa and in pool interior
- Pipe deconstruction and removal to be completed at ceiling level
- New installation of efficient lighting
- New installation of energy saving ceiling fan (slow moving and distributes heat into room)
- Code required drain work in spa and pool
As an agency we are doing our best to accommodate our Uptown aquatic users at Uptown and Midtown:
- The Otters youth swim team can catch YWCA team vans from Uptown to practices at Downtown (we will return the Otters to Uptown also).
- The Otters will practice at Downtown from 3-6pm Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Afternoon water aerobics at Downtown will be cancelled to accommodate. Replacement classes will be held at Midtown.
- You can find our Midtown and Downtown water exercise class schedule at http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/healthfitness/aquatics/water-fit.asp
- The St Paul YWCA has been kind enough to host our Uptown lap swimmers at no charge for this three week time period. We hope that it is a convenient option for those of you who work across the river.
- Masters classes at Midtown and Downtown can be found at http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/healthfitness/aquatics/masters.asp
We attempted to plan for one solo shutdown but it was not going to work as a result of the shear quantity of work that the project bring us. The earlier shutdown of our pool in August included some of the tile work, sand filter replacement and the installation of the UV system. We intended to take care of required drain work, but the solutions have not been manufactured as of yet. We plan to complete the required drain work in the October shutdown.
Sue Duoos  General Manager
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Quick overview... | September 18, 2008 |
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It has been an intense time of change, since I last placed an entry. We opened the lower east side fitness center on Monday, September 8. The lower fitness space provides us with a needed 8000 square feet of weight and cardio space. We knew that members feared that the lower space would be a dark space and it turned out to be quite the opposite. The new white walls in combination with the upgraded lighting are a huge change.
We are receiving very supportive feedback for the changes. Honestly! I say that because not everyone loves the change. We hear that feedback also. The upper east side fitness space will return before the end of October. It will return to you in a calmer, more familiar fashion. 23 cardio pieces are slated to return to their spots in front of the windows. The ugly box television sets hanging precariously from the ceiling will be replaced with three high definition flat screen televisions. The free weights area has been permanently moved to the lower east side. Your weight machines will also return to the upper level. You will gain more window stretching area in addition to the return of your "fishbowl" stretching room. The Pilates Reformer studio space will finally settle into it's own dedicated home in the re-opened upstairs center.
We ask for your continued patience and support. Keep the feedback coming our way.
Sue Duoos
General Manager
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October Aquatics Clarification | September 04, 2008 |
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It was brought to my attention that I was not clear about the October Uptown aquatic construction (see below).
The entire Uptown aquatic center and all aquatic programs will be closed October 6, 2008.
This phase requires a complete drain of the pool as we deal with glass, tiling, overhead work, and drains. We predict an approximate three week closure, but we will always have more details on the time frame as we approach the month of October.
More details will be posted here very soon as to how our other two sites are working through their schedules to attempt to accommodate this schedule change. Communication to specific Uptown aquatic groups (swim teams, etc.) will be available to those individuals as soon as we have all the details ironed out.
Email sent to members 9.4.2008:
Dear YWCA of Minneapolis Health and Fitness Members, We are very excited to announce the completion of phase two in our Greener Greater Uptown construction! Thank you for your ongoing patience as we make these improvements.
Cardio and Weight Area in East Gym Opens Monday Sept 8.
On Monday, September 8 we will be opening the lower level east gymnasium to expose an even larger new cardiovascular and weight training area! Here are the details for the new lower gym space:
Recycled rubber flooring will be laid September 5-7 for the new free weight area
A total of 10 new Precor ellipticals and 12 new Precor treadmills will be delivered on September 8 and 9
The new space will open with full lines of Life Fitness weight machines and a Ground Zero functional line
Additional free weight stations have also been purchased to expand our selection
Ten new flat screen high definition TV’s will be at the front of the cardio space (silenced – bring your headsets to tune in)
Two new 18’ ceiling fans have been installed to increase the energy efficiency in the room
New energy efficient lighting
We will have a temporary air handler installed into the entire gym space into October as we rebuild our HVAC system
Construction Phase 3
Monday, September 8 also marks the beginning of another construction phases to begin:
Our current HVAC system is down this date for approximately one month (no heat or cooling, but maintain air circulation)
Temporary unit systems are pumped into critical rooms for the next month
We also will be circulating 100% fresh outside air through the facility (including the pool)
The upstairs fitness center will close during this month of HVAC work
Monday, October 6
* we re-enter the aquatic center to complete critical work for a three week period:
New 18’ fan to be installed for increased heat and energy efficiency
New energy efficient lighting to be installed
Code required tiling (depth markers)
Installation of energy efficient HVAC roof top unit
Completion of code required drain work
*Please note that we could not complete all of the work during our regularly scheduled August shutdown due to the staging of HVAC, lighting and required code work. We are attempting to be as efficient as possible and limit any inconvenience to programs and members. Please see the blog for specific information regarding program accommodations for this second aquatic shut down.
Please contact me with specific questions and concerns. We are doing our best to make this process as seamless as possible. Thank you for your cooperation and patience. We look forward to a Greener Greater Uptown!
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NEW space in lower level open, Monday September 8! | September 02, 2008 |
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It's going to be tight to the finish line, but we are committed to open up our new cardiovascular and weight area in the lower level gym on Monday, September 8th. We ask in advance that you bring a positive attitude and all of your patience if you show up for your regular routine that day. We will be in the thick of change and you may have to show your flexibility. Here are the details:
- The new lower level free weight area is receiving a new rubber floor (read about it's green traits at http://www.everlastflooring.com/site/everlast_leed.asp) over the weekend. The laborers could still be finishing on Monday morning.
- Precor is delivering 22 new units of treadmills and ellipticals that we hope arrive on the weekend, but they could arrive on Monday the 8th, or Tuesday the 9th.
- We will also will be transferring our current free weight equipment from upstairs to the lower level on Monday, the 8th.
- The HVAC system shuts down at approximately 7:00 AM on the 8th. Temporary units are being installed in the lower level.
- After 7:00 AM on Monday the 8th, you will not have access to the upper level cardio/weight area until October. You may work out upstairs from 5:30 AM-7:00 AM.
The finished product will be in a bright and airy space containing Life Fitness and Ground Zero equipment, more cardiovascular equipment and more free weight area. We will have some days of adjustment and refinement, but we will be proud to host you in a new spacious work out area! Thank you for all of your patience in this transition. 
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New Basketball Courts at YWCA of Minneapolis! | August 29, 2008 |
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Part of our entire Uptown project is the addition of two beautiful wood basketball courts at our Midtown location. Within the attached Minneapolis Sports Center (MSC), we are installing two wood courts over the existing Mondo brand multi use floor. This allowed us to take the popular Uptown Women's Basketball leagues and move them from Uptown to Midtown.
The two courts are under construction currently and are slated to be complete in September. These courts also give our partner, the Minneapolis School District access to a highly competitive surface for basketball and volleyball. Minneapolis students have use of the entire MSC from 8:00 am -6:00 pm on any school day. The YWCA runs a variety of athletic programs (basketball, soccer, golf, etc.) and rents the space out in the off hours.
You can contact our MSC Coordinator, Lauri Ludeman at 612.215.4354 for rental availability.
Congrats Midtown! Can't wait to see the finished product soon!
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BABYSITTING SERVICES CHANGED SEPT 8-12 | August 28, 2008 |
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Morning babysitting shifts at Uptown are cancelled Monday 8th-Friday 12th.
Ryan Construction will be working through the ceilings in all three rooms in our lower hallway during the hours of 6:00 am- 3:30 pm.
Evening hours for babysitting will still be available September 8-12.
Temporary air handlers will be installed for the month of September to accommodate the babysitting area and studio C. Please be alert to signage in the area denoting changes in entries/exits to the rooms.
Sue Duoos
YWCA of Minneapolis
Uptown General Manager 
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CHEMICAL SMELL ALERT! | August 28, 2008 |
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EPOXY use on Thursday, September 11-Tuesday, September 16. (edited 9.2.08)
The new family locker room floor will be an epoxy application placed in layers. We expect that the smell will dissipate as the week moves on. It is an internal room on the lower level across from the gymnasium entrance. We will do our best to contain the scent and use fresh air wherever possible.
The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) sheets state that it is not toxic as a scent. Direct inhalation of the product mist would irritate people with respiratory issues. The MSDS sheets will be available at the front desk for customer review. We acknowledge that some people may have sensitivities to the smell and should plan to workout at our Downtown or Midtown location.
I will use the blog to further communicate next week when the chemical smells have dissipated.
Sue Duoos
YWCA of Minneapolis
Uptown General Manger
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Pool, Family Locker Room & Gym Updates! | August 26, 2008 |
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POOL UPDATE:
This beautiful housing unit contains the UV light that hits our pool water before it returns to the pool. We are proud to announce the delivery of our greener, greater Uptown pool system!
It arrived at 11:00 AM on August 25th, 2008.
Thank you for your positive feedback after only one day. Swimmers have done nothing but rave about how the water and air quality have improved. We hope that you all take the opportunity to test it out. The end result is that we can reduce the amount of chlorine we use and that the layer of air at the surface of the water will now contain reduced levels of chloramines (irritants). Read more at http://fitnessbusinesspro.com/forprofits/new_waters_hockessin/
GYMNASIUM UPDATE:
The gymnasium wall construction is on track. The wall is up and being taped and sanded early in this week. Fitness equipment has been delivered and being assembled and staged in the construction area so that we can open as soon as possible.   Ground Zero equipment to the left. Life Fitness line to the right.
FAMILY LOCKER ROOM UPDATE:
My teeth are rattling as I write because Ryan Construction is busy destroying the old staff locker room and creating our new Family Lockeroom directly next to my office. The noise factor should be over by Wednesday.  CHEMICAL USE!!!Part of this family locker room project will include some chemical smells from an epoxy flooring. This is slated to begin next Tuesday (September 2). We have requested MSDS sheets to be available for our members who may be sensitive to harsh chemical smells. I will plan on posting a PDF here on the blog to further inform members of the chemical use.
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The Uptown Pool is back! | August 25, 2008 |
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The Uptown is back and open for all scheduled programs. We passed state level inspection and we were operating at 10:45 AM on Monday the 25th of August.
Bodypump also entered the construction zone at Uptown and held the 11:00 AM class in the gymnasium. Thanks to Ryan Construction for working with us to make that happen! Please note, we are just bringing back Bodypump, not open gym time. We cannot allow ball activities back in as of yet. Thank you all for your patience and support. More news by Wednesday this week. 
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POOL NOTICE for MONDAY AM | August 21, 2008 |
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Dear YWCA of Minneapolis health and fitness members, We originally planned to reopen the Uptown Aquatic Center August Monday, August 25th at 5:30 AM. We are prepared to do so, but unfortunately need to delay the opening as the State Inspector has rescheduled our mandatory inspection for 9:30AM on Monday the 25th. Inspections are overwhelming our state and local officials during this season as facilities meet new codes and prepare for the fall season. The Uptown pools are scheduled to reopen on 11:00 AM on Monday the 25th. Please remember that the Midtown pools will be shut down beginning at 6:00 PM on the 24th. Morning swimmers can access our Downtown pools at 5:30 AM. Please see the class and open swim schedule at http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/healthfitness/schedules/shell-dt-pool-lap.asp?utm_source=newsletterHF&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PoolAlert8-17-08
The following Uptown Monday morning pool activities are cancelled:
6:00 AM Master’s Practice
All open swim
All access to the whirlpool
7:00 AM Water Aerobics
9:00 AM Water Aerobics
We apologize for any additional inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Sue Duoos
Uptown General Manager
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Bodypump returns the 25th! | August 20, 2008 |
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East (pic on the left/future fitness center).
West (pic on the right/classes and open court).
The rumors are true. Bodypump classes will return to Uptown on Monday, August 25th. You can see from the above picture that you will be taking your class in the center of a construction zone. Ryan Construction has been flexible enough to allow us access to the west half for our group fitness classes. There will be no access to the track and no open gym until the Ryan team officially turns over the entire space to us and moves on to the next phase of construction. NOISE! On Monday, August 25th the new family locker room phase is slated to begin. Our employee locker room is being renovated into a family space. This begins with breaking down some cinder block walls and moving some rental lockers. It is a one month timeline and you should expect some excess noise the first few days of this phase.
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Updates for August 18-24, 2008 | August 15, 2008 |
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Things continue to move forward on construction at Uptown. We have some more visible changes happening today as we have welders up in the I-beams of our gymnasium constructing the new wall supports. Mirrors are now also installed on the east wall of the lower gym to support the coming free -weight area. Here are a few things that you will see next week:
- Our yearly shutdown of our Aquatics Center begins Monday the 18th and inlcudes drain fixes, tiling and our new UV pool system installation! We will re-open Monday the 25th.
- Roof top units (RTU's) will be lifted to the roof top from the cement pad between the YWCA and Allina Medical Clinic (north side of the YWCA) on a predicted Thursday the 28th. A large truck and crane will be obstructing the walk way from our condo neighbors for approximately four hours.
- The lower gymnasium wall will begin to be sheetrocked, taped, and painted.
I hope you all have a great weekend. We are all hoping for great weekend weather as we prepare for the our Women's Triathlon at Baker Park this Sunday! Come cheer on 500 women compete! http://www.ywcawomenstri.org/
sue duoos
uptown general manager
director of west broadway project
ywca of minneapolis
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Floor work in the lower gymnasium... | August 05, 2008 |
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 Dust was flying a little bit today as Ryan Construction started removing a seven inch strip of the flooring to prepare for the wall construction. We are happy to welcome Curtis to our YWCA temporary crew as the Ryan Site Project Manager. We are juggling getting supplies in and we still feel on track. You will see a crane here on Wednesday, August 6th. The crew will be preparing and framing some area on the rooftop readying for future HVAC work. We have instructed them to always keep a safe walkway for our neighbors behind us at the Isles Condo. The noise and dust are pretty mild. Any of the work in the gymansium is very contained to that area. We did receive three upright bikes today and placed them on the upstairs fitness floor for immediate use. We will continue to bring items in as we can find the creative space. Again, we appreciate your continued support and patience. Sue Duoos YWCA of Minneapolis Uptown General Manager
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So what is Greener Greater Uptown, anyway? | August 05, 2008 |
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As a collective, we tend to think our members are a bit more forward thinking and typically on the edge with global thinking and awareness. It's obvious that you all care about the value of your surroundings. You have invested in your local YWCA of Minneapolis because we are doing more than pumping weights, shooting hoops, and spinning. We know that our mission statement of Empowering Women and Girls and Eliminating Racism is an added value to your purchase here.
Through your feedback, our employee's feedback, and simply knowing that you are a unique audience made us focus on how we operate every day. We know that our actions have a positive ripple into our Minneapolis neighborhoods through our work with youth and families. We questioned what else could we do and actively model that would set us apart again from our fitness competitors. In reviewing our operating systems and in having these new opportunities to start physically changing our facilities - we arrived at Green!
The entire Greener Greater Uptown project has revolved around efficiency and costs savings. We are working very hard behind the scenes using due diligence in researching all of our options in saving materials, using quality recycled products, buying an efficient HVAC system, reducing the use of chemicals every day, and installing energy saving light fixtures.
We were extremely grateful for the support of Excel Energy and The Weidt Group in completing a thorough energy analysis of our Uptown facility. The energy design assistance is guiding all of our decisions in reducing our own carbon footprint in Uptown.
Internally, our agency has created a Green Team that is creating our baselines for where we are today, setting expectations for how we operate as a committed group of employees, and completing the research on improved products and vendors who align with our green principles.
So stay tuned. We will be posting our list of green decisions here at the blog and in the facility. We will proudly educate you on how we are helping the environment so that you can also choose to make some changes in your own lives. Sue Duoos YWCA of Minneapolis Uptown General Manager
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AQUATICS REMINDER | August 05, 2008 |
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Monday, August 18 through Sunday August 24, 2008:
Please remember that our Uptown Aquatic Center and all Uptown aquatic programs are shut down during the above time frame. You can choose to visit our Downtown or Midtown site during this period.As part of the Greener Greater Uptown initiatives we are installing a UV light system that will increase the quality of the lap pool water. You will experience a much lower chloramine level. Chloramines irritate the eyes, skin and hair.We are also adding some new required color tiles for depth marking, and changing out required drains and covers in the whirlpool. Note that the women's sauna will remain open. The Co-ed sauna will also remain open (but there is no lifeguard on duty). When you join us for a swim again on Monday the 25th, please be warned that the water temperature will be colder than the normal experience. We look forward to hearing how you enjoy the new pool system! Sue Duoos YWCA Uptown General Manager
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What's happening in the plastic wrapped gym? | July 22, 2008 |
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 Obviously, people have been curious about what is happening behind the plastic wrap in their favorite gym. So, I snapped a few pictures which really don't do it justice. It is an amazing transformation from a dark space to brilliant. We have just started, but brightening it up makes it look enormous. We are excited to get our early project work complete to bring Ryan Companies in to complete the transformation into a spacious fitness room and back to a full size basketball court. We continue to work on time-lines and our companies are finishing the tasks of pulling the work permits. We will work diligently with Ryan Construction Company and the subcontractors to always know our two week forecast and share it with you as soon as possible. We are making multiple layer plans to best handle all scenarios that may come our way.
We are also doing our best to do as little damage as possible to the actual wood floor in order to keep it as sustainable as possible. We are exploring every means possible to complete this refresh as "green" as possible. Thank you for visiting both Uptown and Downtown group fitness classes. Each site has reported an increase in class levels. We hope that you enjoy the hospitality of our sister sites! Thank you for your feedback. We have received great support. For that and your collective patience, we thank you. We believe that you will truly appreciate the end result for years to come.  Changes for the week of Monday July 21, 2008- Sunday July 27, 2008: · All activities are cancelled in gymnasium (east and west) and upper track. No access until September 12, 2008 (goal date). · Painting finishes in the entire lower level of the gymnasium and upper track area. · Inefficient lighting fixtures are removed from the gymnasium · Mirrors are installed in lower level east end of gymnasium and future fitness space. Sue Duoos Uptown General Manager
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construction under way in gymansium only | July 14, 2008 |
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Program changes for Tuesday, July 15.
The entire lower gymnasium and suspended track area will be closed as painting will be under way.
By early Wednesday cardio equipment that had been in the lower gymnasium will be transferred to the upper level. We are also waiting on parts to complete some major overhauls on cardio equipment that has been needing repair.
Changes for the week of Monday July 14, 2008- Sunday July 21, 2008:
· All activities are cancelled in gymnasium (east and west) and upper track. No access until September 3, 2008 (goal date).
· Painting begins in the entire lower level of the gymnasium and upper track area.
· Additional air handlers will be added to the gymnasium to exhaust air more efficiently. We are using low fume latex paint products.
· Mirrors are installed in lower level east end of gymnasium and future fitness space.
· Please see Midtown class schedule for additional Body Pump classes with your favorite instructors. http://www.ywca-minneapolis.org/healthfitness/schedules/shell-mt-fitness-group.asp
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clarity of previous post | July 10, 2008 |
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Construction begins in the gymnasium July 14th. We do not expect access until Labor Day.
I apologize for any confusion by the previous message. When construction begins, we will list a daily update to list things that may affect your access for that day. We will also list changes that we know will affect you for that week. The third header will show you an overview of the entire project and its timeline.
On Monday, July 14th the gymnasium & track will close to general access while painters prep the gym. Because painting is not expected to begin until Tuesday, we have scheduled our group fitness instructors for those Monday classes in the gymnasium. Tuesday is scheduled to begin low fume latex painting and other additional construction prep. The gym will not re-open until a projected date of after Labor Day.
Sue Duoos
Uptown General Manager
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