Bay Area Family Fitness: A Healthy Transformation in Record Time

Project Highlights

• Transformed a vacant, aging Rite Aid store into a state-of-the-art fitness facility

• Relied on a well-managed design-build process to complete all tenant improvements on budget and on schedule in just over 3 months

• Seamlessly handled specialized requirements such as electrical and data connections for more than 200 exercise machines with digital displays

• Demoed and constructed large men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers and spa/Whirlpool area

Bay Area Family Fitness, owned by long-time trainer Dave Morrison, is not your typical fitness club. Unlike some of the larger fitness chains, the club takes good care of its facilities as well as its members and highly professional staff. More importantly, it is results-driven — focused on designing individualized training programs and teaching people how to get the workouts they need, even if it ultimately means the members may no longer need the services of a personal trainer.

Challenge

Timing is everything. In September 2011, when Bay Area Family Fitness had the opportunity to open its second club in an old 38,000 sq. ft. Rite Aid pharmacy on Capitol Expressway in San Jose, Morrison knew he needed to move fast. For starters, January is the month when a fitness facility must be open for business — to cater to the hundreds of well-intentioned people who flock to fitness facilities as part of New Year’s resolutions. In addition, Morrison had negotiated favorable lease terms, and the sooner he opened his doors, the more he could capitalize on the lease’s financial benefits.

Solution

SiliconX Construction took advantage of the City of San Jose’s Special Tenant Improvement (STI) program, designed to streamline the permit process for companies locating in vacant buildings — receiving the construction permit on September 13, 2011. Construction started the same week, managed under a design-build approach working closely with Michael Zucker & Associates, AIA, of San Francisco.

After finishing demolition of the remaining interior improvements, SiliconX began to transform the former Rite Aid into a state-of-the-art fitness facility. SiliconX handled construction of an entirely new mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure to meet the club’s requirements. This included electrical and data connections for approximately 200 pieces of cardio and other machines equipped with fitness displays and TV screens in the 13,000 sq. ft. main exercise room.

SiliconX also demoed and constructed 2,400 sq. ft. for men’s and women’s locker rooms — with 12 showers, granite countertops and tile floors throughout. In addition, the project included a spa area with sauna and Whirlpool, a 4,200 sq. ft. free weight area, and a 1,500 sq. ft. group exercise area for yoga, Pilates, Zumba, kids fitness classes, and more.

Results

Moving quickly — but building to the highest standards throughout the facility — SiliconX Construction was able to complete its work two days before Christmas, 2011. That gave Morrison and the staff of the new facility ample time to have the club ready for the New Year’s rush of new members. Morrison commented, “I was extremely pleased with both the speed and attention to detail that SiliconX demonstrated in completing the new facility for us in such a tight timeframe.”

Morrison recently acquired a majority interest in Express Fitness Center in Pleasanton, which he helped found a number of years ago, and he plans to use SiliconX to upgrade those facilities as the location becomes part of the Bay Area Family Fitness brand. More club locations may be added to the family as Morrison seeks to serve the Bay Area market.

Good As Gold for Gold’s Gym

Sometimes, an architect’s expansive, creative vision can exceed an owner’s budget. It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s challenging business environment. Such was the case for Gold’s Gym in Mountain View. The sweeping upgrade for the fitness facility at 1400 North Shoreline Boulevard, adjacent to the Cinemark Century Theaters, was initially cost out at nearly twice what had been planned for the improvements.

That’s where SiliconX Construction came in. SiliconX often employs a value engineering approach, which seeks to reconcile an owner’s vision and architect’s design with the practical realities of implementing those plans to ensure an affordable result. Led by Anthony “Tony” Gonzalez, SiliconX Construction’s Director of Construction Operations and Superintendent, SiliconX collaborated closely with the fitness center’s owner and the architect to reduce the scope or substitute finishes in certain areas and adapt the plans in others to achieve a spectacular result while bringing the improvements in on budget.

“SiliconX Construction’s ingenuity and discipline were the keys to enabling us to achieve what we wanted with the finances we had available,” said Jerry McCall, owner of Gold’s Gym – Mountain View. “SiliconX created a true team atmosphere where we were working together toward the same goal, rather than being in opposition to one another as is so common with many contractors.”

Keeping the Fitness Center Open

One of the biggest challenges was making all the improvements while the gym remained operational. Members can work out at Gold’s Gym–Mountain View Mondays through Thursdays from 5 a.m. until midnight, Fridays from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m., and from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends. SiliconX worked diligently during the seven weeks of construction to avoid interfering with individual training as well as the dozens of group sessions and fitness classes from yoga to Zumba offered at the location.

Major upgrades to the center included:

•   Complete remodel of the reception area with a new tile floor, reception counter and desk, and painting in selected areas

•   Addition of a new spin room with a glass wall that looks into the rest of the club

•   Refresh of the office/employee break room areas, including new kitchenette cabinetry and wall coverings

•   Relocation of the HVAC supply unit to suit the new wall layout

•   Remodel of both the men’s and women’s locker rooms

The latter task proved to be among the most challenging, especially the improvements in the women’s locker room. SiliconX consulted closely with Jerry to schedule the needed work in only two three-day phases, minimizing the inconvenience for Gold’s female members, while giving the SiliconX crews the access they needed.

All work was completed on time and on budget, resulting in a bright, modern, highly functional facility for Gold’s Gym’s expanding membership.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with an owner like Jerry McCall,” said Tony Gonzalez. “Together, we were able to create the vision he wanted at a cost that was affordable. The Mountain View center is now a first-class fitness facility that compares favorably with any in the area.”

No job — from tenant improvements to new construction — is too large or too small for SiliconX Construction. If you’re considering any kind of construction project and would like some initial budget numbers — or if you already have a design that you are looking to put out to bid — SiliconX will be happy to provide a no-obligation quotation.

To learn more about the improvements at Gold’s Gym – Mountain View or to obtain a quote on your next project, contact Tony at tony@siliconxconstruction.com, or call (408) 418-0099 (w) or (408) 318-1869 (c).

 Putting a New Face on Los Gatos Boulevard

• Completed all exterior improvements on schedule and on budget

• Provided construction management services for 10,000 sq. ft. of ground floor tenant improvements for YogaSource Los Gatos

• Are designing and building five of up to ten spaces for the 9,800 sq. ft. of space on the building’s second floor

In 2008, a 20,150 sq. ft., two-story commercial building was constructed on a parcel of just less than one acre on Los Gatos Blvd. in a prime business area in Los Gatos. The expectation was that the building would quickly be leased. But that was before the Great Recession changed everything for a lot of people and businesses throughout Silicon Valley.

 Challenge

Since its completion in 2008, the building at 16185 Los Gatos Blvd. had sat vacant. In 2009, the Town of Los Gatos issued a use permit for a bakery and café, but the business never moved in. Finally, in mid-2011, new owners purchased the building and signed a lease with YogaSource Los Gatos to occupy the entire 10,350 sq. ft. ground floor.

To ready the building for the new tenants and prepare the 9,800 sq. ft. of space on the second floor for leasing, the new owners called upon SiliconX Construction to give the building a thorough facelift.

 Solution

Working with Kelly Simcox of Studio G Architects in Campbell, SiliconX updated the exterior design for the building. The fresh new look involved the addition of a stonewall feature to the front of the building facing busy Los Gatos Blvd., as well as repainting the entire exterior. SiliconX also installed a sophisticated new electronic irrigation system and landscaping to improve the overall presentation of the building. In addition, the system includes advanced water metering capabilities that will enable the landlord to accurately track and bill water usage by the building’s tenants.

Further, SiliconX provided construction management services to the building owners for the ground floor tenant improvements for YogaSource Los Gatos — ensuring that all work was completed in a timely manner and within budget.

 Results

With YogaSource Los Gatos open for business hosting classes, workshops, teacher training, private retreats, and more, the building is finally seeing the use for which it was built.

The new owners have been very satisfied with the work that SiliconX Construction has completed on the building to-date, and the owners have engaged SiliconX to design and build the first five of up to ten units that will be available for lease on the building’s top floor.