Section A · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, August 20, 1999
Picnic in the Park
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Private health spots compete for clientele
Fitness clubs offer healthy benefits
By Amber Stuver writer @kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
As students invade Lawrence for the fall semester, Lawrence's private health clubs are preparing to battle for new and old clientele.
Lawrence Athletic Club, 3201 Mesa Way, and Total Fitness Athletic Center, 925 Iowa St., have moved, expanded and renovated in time for the fall semester.
The newest addition to the Lawrence health club scene is Lawrence Athletic Club's south location at 2108 W. 27th St. LAC South is located at the old Total Fitness location but has undergone renovations.
The new club features $400,000 worth of new equipment, a new 1600-square-foot suspended hardwood aerobic floor, new lockers, ceramic tiles and saunas. It is also fully mirrored and features rubber flooring, a stereo system and juice bar. The club is open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Owner Rick Sells said he opened the south location to attract Total Fitness members who didn't want to move with the club when it opened its new location on Iowa Street.
"These people want a health club in their own backyard."
Improvements also are being made at Lawrence Athletic Club North, which was damage after a fire last spring. The club has since reopened but still is undergoing about $1.4 million worth of rebuilding and is adding $700,000 worth of new equipment.
Sells said.
The construction is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 13. The north location also features six tanning beds, a six-lane pool, two racquetball courts and a hardwood basketball court.
Total Fitness Athletic Center moved to its new location at Hillcrest Shopping Center last May. The club doubled in size with the addition of two half-court basketball courts, a wellness center and a larger aerobics facility.
"Most people join our clubs because we offer more," Sells said. "Our clubs are brand-new. They're state-of-the-art."
"I came here, and I just like the facility," Kelly said. "They have a nice weight room, and there's hardly anyone here and they're open 24 hours during the week."
John Kelly, Kansas City junior, joined Total Fitness after the temporary closing of LAC because of the fire.
Total Fitness's hours are from 5 a.m. Monday to midnight Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Sells said both LAC locations offered deals to attract students who left after last spring's fire. LAC South is offering a special of $99 a semester or $178 for two semesters, which does not include access to the north location. Mem-
Total Fitness
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Sixth Street Fitness
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Lawrence Athletic Club
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Body Boutique
✓ ✓ ✓
Lawrence's Private Health Clubs
Cardio
Weights
Aerobics
Saunas
Personal Training
Tanning
Basketball courts
Racquetball courts
Pool
Child care
Tae Kwon Do
Masseuse
Jason Williams/KANSAN
burship to the north location,
which does include access to both
facilities, is $119 for one semester
or $218 for two semesters.
"They're getting totally brand-new equipment and I'm not raising my rates," Sells said. "They're going to come back."
The cardiovascular equipment and aerobics room have been available for use since Monday at LAC South. The weights will be ready for use Tuesday.
Marty Tuley, Total Fitness president, wouldn't quote rates on the phone, but he said the club offered special prices to students. He said that Total Fitness offered complimentary personal training and wellness to members and that it had a quality staff.
"We have a very well-educated, very well-qualified staff," Tuley said. "We put a very heavy
emphasis on training so we know our customer service is good."
Lawrence's other health clubs include Sixth Street Fitness, formerly New Life Fitness, 2500 W. Sixth Street.
Amanda Perdaris, manager, said people came to New Life Fitness for the personal service and lack of crowds.
"This is the place to go if you want to come in, get your workout done and go," she said.
Body Boutique, 925 Ileu Street, offers a facility exclusively for women with cardiovascular and weight equipment, tanning beds and aerobics.
"It's all women and I like that," said Kendra Glassman, Salina freshman. "I'm just intimidated, I guess, by guys that lift, and I'm too short for all the machines."
Local furniture store closing doors
—Edited by Jennifer Roush
Lawrence to get new, bigger shop
By Katie Haller
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Chet Johnson Furniture, 722 Massachusetts St., isn't closing because business is bad.
After 35 years, Johnson Furniture, 722 Massachusetts St., is going out of business because it could not afford its new lease. Under the new landlord, rent increased 85.0 percent. Photo by Joseph Griffin/KANSAN
Actually, 1998 was the store's best year on record with $1 million in sales, said co-owner Ron Johnson.
The 35-year-old downtown store is closing its doors Sept.1, because of conflict with a new landlord. When the property was traded May 1, the new owner increased rent 850 percent.
"We just didn't have that figured in the budget," Johnson said.
Johnson looked into several alternatives, including relocating and building a free-standing store, before deciding to close. Either of those options would cost the store about $8,000 a month; prior to May 1, rent was $750.
Pat Talbott, manager of the Prairie Village-based Jayhawk Equities L.L.C., which now owns the property, said his company tried to accommodate the furniture store.
"We're definitely going to increase inventory. We'll have a much better selection in every area."
"We offered to lease it to them at a much-below-market rate, and they couldn't afford it." he said.
Danish Inspirations, now located at 1012 Massachusetts St., will move into the building by Nov. 1. The modern furniture store will nearly double its size, said Danish
Chet Johnson, Johnson's father, opened the store in 1964 with $8,500 worth of merchandise. As the business grew, the store expanded; in 1981, the store spread into the area next door. That same year Johnson and his brother Larry took control of the business.
Linda Leedy
Inspirations manager Linda Leedy.
Danish Inspirations manager
Johnson said the store's success was because of a strong connection to the Lawrence community.
"We're definitely going to increase inventory," Leedy said. "We'll have a much better selection in every area."
"Lawrence citizens aren't our
customers," he said. "They're our extended family. And when you drive money from the community, you need to give back to the community."
Under this philosophy, Johnson Furniture has donated items to numerous charity auctions, sponsored the AquaHawks swimming team and the Special Olympics.
Last year, it purchased an ad in the Laurence Journal-World congratulating the Haskell Indian Nations University women's basketball team for its success.
"The Johnsons have been good to Lawrence," said Jeff Tschudy, store manager. "That's something a chain won't do."
Johnson Furniture is spending its last days with a going-out-of-business sale.
"It's our main objective now to do good business in the time we have left," Johnson said. "It's been a great 35 years. It's the end of an era."
Edited by Ronnie Watcher
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