School Board Pitches Taxpayer Funded Lakewood Community Fitness Facility

[Brian Essi]

In this week's mail:

[Bill Call]

Can City and School Board employees use the facility free of charge?

I have not been able to get an answer.

[Bridget Conant]

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... 1&start=15

Spokesperson Christine Gordillo sidestepped the question on who got free use of the gym, only stating that CITY employees had to purchase a membership.

As it stands, it appears that all school employees and board members, as well as First Federal of Lakewood employees get FREE memberships.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Can City and School Board employees use the facility free of charge?

I have not been able to get an answer.

FREE - All regularly schedule School Employees, teachers, administrators, maintenance, School Board Members

FREE - Students with a coach with them over the age of 14

FREE - First Federal of Lakewood regularly scheduled employees (In response to FFL paying for 3/4 of the track, and other programs)

NOT FREE - Everyone else. City Workers, Substitute teachers, coaches, crossing guards, etc.

.

[Bridget Conant]

I still do not understand why the schools (read taxpayers) needed to provide a fitness facility for the public.

There are so many fitness places in Lakewood and nearby River and West Park. Seriously, just google it! Not including the YMCA.

A lack of gym facilities certainly isn’t a pressing problem in this area.

So why?

It couldn’t have been to make money because we know it will COST the schools money to administer and maintain.

From feedback on several Facebook groups, people aren’t exactly overwhelmed with the facility, claiming its too expensive for what they offer, disappointment at the limited hours, a lack of variety in equipment and no cushy extras like at some gyms. The consensus was there are better and cheaper options elsewhere.

So again, WHY?

[Mark Kindt]

Ms. Conant, I concur.

The last thing citizens and taxpayers need is the misapplication of tax revenues for a misguided effort by the school district to compete in the market for recreational services. These private services are thriving in Lakewood under the efforts of numerous small entrepreneurs. It sends the absolutely wrong signals to small business folks.

The decision of the school district to enter these markets makes absolutely no sense to me.

They have crowned a successful multi-year school rebuilding effort with what can only be described as an albatross.

My perception of the district has moved from "highly positive" to guardedly negative with this development.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Ms. Conant, I concur.

The last thing citizens and taxpayers need is the misapplication of tax revenues for a misguided effort by the school district to compete in the market for recreational services. These private services are thriving in Lakewood under the efforts of numerous small entrepreneurs. It sends the absolutely wrong signals to small business folks.

The decision of the school district to enter these markets makes absolutely no sense to me.

They have crowned a successful multi-year school rebuilding effort with what can only be described as an albatross.

My perception of the district has moved from "highly positive" to guardedly negative with this development.

Mark, Bridget

On one hand I can completely agree with you, especially the terrible rollout, a hallmark of publicly owned assets in Lakewood.

But in my mind, if it were remodeled correctly it could become a huge asset for the community.

Imagine if instead of being a public facility, it were used for Schools employees as it is now, and City employees, especially police and fire. This would be a great perk for working in public service in Lakewood. Imagine if they followed Ed Favre's drumbeat of having teachers, administrators, police and fire living in Lakewood, and offered it at a low cost to those employees, but FREE if you lived in Lakewood. While a small perk, every perk helps. There are facts that when police, fire, and school teachers live in a community, that community is safer.

Lakewood has got to start to look for things that separate us from the rest of the surrounding communities. Under the leadership of a very small myopic group of officials and citizens there has been increasing efforts and actions to make us homogenized and just like the rest. When that happens Lakewood loses to larger yards, more privacy, larger rec centers, and yes white flight. As we pointed out ten years ago, which is easier to see? Which makes more sense in a county where population is still falling?

Which brand makes more sense? Which plan makes more sense?


An LO image from 12 years ago, when the plans to make us the next Crocker Park//Legacy Village surfaced among civic leaders.

Let's take a very small family fitness facility and a potential negative, and turn it into a huge plus!

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[Mark Kindt]

Ms. Conant, I concur.

The last thing citizens and taxpayers need is the misapplication of tax revenues for a misguided effort by the school district to compete in the market for recreational services. These private services are thriving in Lakewood under the efforts of numerous small entrepreneurs. It sends the absolutely wrong signals to small business folks.

The decision of the school district to enter these markets makes absolutely no sense to me.

They have crowned a successful multi-year school rebuilding effort with what can only be described as an albatross.

My perception of the district has moved from "highly positive" to guardedly negative with this development.

Mark, Bridget

On one hand I can completely agree with you, especially the terrible rollout, a hallmark of publicly owned assets in Lakewood.

But in my mind, if it were remodeled correctly it could become a huge asset for the community.

Imagine if instead of being a public facility, it were used for Schools employees as it is now, and City employees, especially police and fire. This would be a great perk for working in public service in Lakewood. Imagine if they followed Ed Favre's drumbeat of having teachers, administrators, police and fire living in Lakewood, and offered it at a low cost to those employees, but FREE if you lived in Lakewood. While a small perk, every perk helps. There are facts that when police, fire, and school teachers live in a community, that community is safer.

Lakewood has got to start to look for things that separate us from the rest of the surrounding communities. Under the leadership of a very small myopic group of officials and citizens there has been increasing efforts and actions to make us homogenized and just like the rest. When that happens Lakewood loses to larger yards, more privacy, larger rec centers, and yes white flight. As we pointed out ten years ago, which is easier to see? Which makes more sense in a county where population is still falling?

Which brand makes more sense? Which plan makes more sense?


An LO image from 12 years ago, when the plans to make us the next Crocker Park//Legacy Village surfaced among civic leaders.

Let's take a very small family fitness facility and a potential negative, and turn it into a huge plus!

.

"Imagine if instead of being a public facility, it were used for Schools employees as it is now, and City employees, especially police and fire. This would be a great perk for working in public service in Lakewood. Imagine if they followed Ed Favre's drumbeat of having teachers, administrators, police and fire living in Lakewood, and offered it at a low cost to those employees, but FREE if you lived in Lakewood. While a small perk, every perk helps. There are facts that when police, fire, and school teachers live in a community, that community is safer."

Of course, this is exactly what we do not have.

What we have, and I quote Mr. Essi, is "cascading failed leadership".

Imagine if Lakewood had a hospital...

Imagine if Lakewood complied with the open meeting statutes....

Imagine if Lakewood complied with the public record access statutes....

We have to deal with what we actually have.

[Mark Kindt]

Imagine if we didn't now have a classic boondoggle on our hands.

[Michael Deneen]

What demographic are they targeting with this rec center?
As a longtime professional industry analyst, I don't see where this facility fits into the market landscape.

When compared to the YMCA, it has less amenities and offers fewer hours of access.
When compared to private gyms like Anytime Fitness or Planet Fitness, it has the benefit of the track and pool (during limited hours), but with a much larger price tag. Planet Fitness, for example, is only $10 per month.

I suspect there was never any market research done to measure the demand for this product.
That's a colossal error in the private sector (XFL, New Coke, DeLorean Automobiles, "Caddyshack 2", etc).
It's an even more egregious error in the non-federal public sector, where resources are scarce.
To gamble with public money that is earmarked for education is even more horrendous.

I'll be curious to see how many PAYING members this facility has one year from now. I suspect the number will be relatively low, and that public officials will try to shield that information from us.

[Stan Austin]

Mike-- Your analysis is pretty complete and concise. Bet it took you only a half an hour. Did the Lakewood School Board do such an analysis?

[Gary Rice]

Just returned this morning from Greater Cleveland's annual Scouting Woodbadge breakfast, held this year in the fabulous new cafeteria/community center at Lakewood High School.

The Woodbadge event is an international gathering of some of the most committed members of Scouting's adult leadership team, and it is my impression that the hundreds of attendees were absolutely amazed by what they experienced here. There was great parking, just across the street, along with a stunningly beautiful facility that was letter-perfect for the event.

For those unaware, the high school cafeteria/community center is adjacent to the state-of-the-art gym/community recreation center currently in question. It all sort of flows into one great community focal point, particularly when combined with the already existing historic Civic Auditorium.

For those unaware, Lakewood's public schools have always sought to be an integral part of the greater Lakewood community. This new centrally-located facility stands as a premium multi-use event center that will be more and more appreciated in part and as a whole over the years.

As an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Lakewood is perpetually challenged to come up with new and innovative ways to keep our community as attractive as possible. To my mind, they knocked this multi-function project out of the park.

I was very pleased to see the response of the Scouters to our new school. While some of the points and questions offered here in this thread may have short term validity, in a comprehensive sense of overview, I really believe that our Lakewood Schools have developed a dynamic multi-functional facility that will see much use for many years to come.

Already, for example, Ashland College is using the high school, and I'm sure that many other many more educational, recreational, and arts groups will be sharing this great facility in the future.

Far better it seems to me, that Lakewood's new schools have been designed not only to provide the best learning environment possible for our students, but to also offer a proactive response to lifelong learning and involvement for all of us.

Visit your new schools, if you've not already done so.

I think you will be as pleased as I am with what they have done.

Back to the banjo...

[james fitzgibbons]

Did Mayor Summers get his schooling in Lakewood? If so what years.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Did Mayor Summers get his schooling in Lakewood? If so what years.

It pains me to say this, part of the infamous Class of 72.

He came into Lakewood Schools in 2nd grade, my class.

By 5th grade he was running for Class President every year.

By junior high, he was running against Steve Petras and Jay Foran(also class of 72) Petras and Summers would alternate every other year winning Class President, Jay always finished 3rd. And so the die was cast. Winners and losers bound together. Electable and not.

From the Class of 72, 20 Year Reunion Program Cover (by Jim O'Bryan)


Mike Summers and Steve Petras in red circle. Jay didn't make the cut. Assembled on a b/w Mac SE in 1982.

Mike used to have a signed poster version on his office wall at City Hall. Still might.

Based on Beatles Sgt.Pepper Cover


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[james fitzgibbons]

I feel your pain Jim ! '' Keep on Truckin ''