Mentor To Buy Fitness Facility For $5.15 Million

MENTOR, OH — The city of Mentor will purchase the Heisley Racquet & Fitness Club on Heisley Road.

City council approved the purchase on Tuesday, signing off on the $5.15 million transaction. The purchase will include the building, equipment and approximately eight acres of property.

“The city has long held an interest in expanding its ability to offer indoor programming that could serve a large number of participants, including basketball, tennis, volleyball, soccer, indoor swimming, track, and general fitness,” said Mentor City Manager Kenneth J. Filipiak, “This is a milestone event for the city that will add even more access to quality programming and facilities at an affordable price for families."

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The fitness club is more than 128,000-square feet and includes an indoor soccer field, basketball courts, tennis courts, racquetball courts and pickleball courts. There are also indoor and outdoor swimming pools, cardio and weight training areas, group exercise rooms, a childcare room and more.

Mentor city officials said purchasing the property was a "long-standing goal" and will provide flexible indoor space to expand recreation opportunities for residents. They believe the facility could attract and support up to 3,500 members.

“We finally have the space we need to bring the type of indoor recreation programming Mentor deserves. It’s our intention to offer as many as 1,000 programs annually for infants through older adults," said Mentor Parks and Recreation Director Kenn Kaminski.

Mentor City Council President Bruce Landeg also reiterated the desire to expand recreation in Mentor. In a statement, he noted that city council has previously considered building a new recreation center, using Mentor Schools facilities or partnering with groups like LakeHealth and the Lake County YMCA.

When the fitness club's ownership approached the city about a possible sale in 2019, officials grabbed the opportunity.

Once the sale is finalized, the fitness club will likely be temporarily closed for renovations and updates. Mentor's Parks and Recreation team will also begin developing facility-unique programming, building out staff and creating the membership structure.

Anyone interested in job opportunities at the revamped facility should contact the Parks and Recreation Department.