A unique $3.5 million high performance sports centre is taking shape in Bethlehem with All Blacks' conditioning coach Dr Nick Gill set to take charge.
Construction of the 2500m2 two storey Aspire Centre began in August and is expected to be completed by late February or early March, 2015, says developer Mark Patel.
Mark Patel at the constuction site in Bethlehem. Photo: Bruce Barnard.
Incorporating a state of the art high performance sports medicine centre, the 2500m2 two storey building will include a swimming pool, recovery pool and cold plunge.
It will also feature a conference room for educational purposes and link closely with the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and local secondary schools, says Mark.
'It's going to be a very educated minded facility, with a lot of seminars and workshops on all things to do with health and fitness, as well as sports.
'We will be doing a lot of training programmes through all the high schools as well. They can bring in their students in and we can run programmes for them.”
Mark says what is unique about the centre is it has the support of some of the top trainers in New Zealand.
'We have got the best team possible running it. Anyone can have a space and say it's a high performance facility, but unless you know what you are doing it doesn't mean anything.”
All Blacks' conditioning coach, Nick, will be in charge of the high performance facility.
Nick, who has a PhD in sports science, has been a massive draw card for other sporting talent, says Mark.
'That's huge for us. We've got nutritionists and physios coming out our ears wanting to be involved in this and we have already got out team sorted. So it's really quite exciting from that perspective.
'Even the kids' programme that Nick is developing for the schools is completely unique. There's nothing like it in New Zealand, a very scientifically based programme that's going to be outstanding, amazing.”
The building is situated behind Z Service Station at Bethlehem.
The Aspire Centre's website and Facebook pages are expected to go live soon.
The project is one of five large commercial projects in Tauranga given consent in August.
Other large-scale projects include retail tenancies in Brookfield valued at $978,000, a new $1.6m retail outlet at Owens Place, a new $1.8m warehouse at Owens Place, and a $2.4m stage two development of a factory and office development at Hewletts Road.
5 comments
Good on you Mark, make sure council doesn't copy
Posted on 09-09-2014 14:46 | By Annalist
What a great investment Mark is making in the Bethlehem area. But he'll need to make sure someone doesn't lobby Council to build a similar sports facility that is rates funded. After all council has a record of "competing" in everything from DVD hires to gym facilities to catering. I'm amazed that a gym can operate at council's bay swimming center and that library users (where I thought reading was the big deal) can hire movies.
Dimensions?
Posted on 09-09-2014 19:16 | By Floyd
As long as the pool is 25 m long and 2m deep then it will be great.
Copy Cat Council
Posted on 09-09-2014 23:54 | By YOGI BEAR
Yes they will and that is happening at the old Mount Cozzie Club, ratepayers will be running a charity session there for life and some.
Dimensions
Posted on 10-09-2014 14:25 | By Mariana
I guess Floyd is a water polo player? Seriously, we need a 50m pool for the large number of competitive swimmers in Tauranga. It is tough always having to travel to Hamilton/Auckland/Wellington for competitions. Could you please make the dimensions known?
Annalist
Posted on 10-09-2014 14:54 | By YOGI BEAR
They do these things in the vague hope of making a dollar to reduce ratepayers cost of for example aquatics, however what they do spend the time doing is shuffling numbers to hide the truth of it all and carry on the gravy train.
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