It’s the little things that make the Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center so special, Cullman parks director John Hunt said.

“The water has to be 86 degrees and the air 84 degrees,” he said, standing beside the center’s competition-sized indoor pool and large hot tub. “That way it stays nice and doesn’t steam up in here.”

The public will have a chance to check out the new 110,000-square-foot campus at the grand opening ceremony on April 5 at 2 p.m.

Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines will be on hand for the grand opening, and there will also be live music, food and guided tours.

“Everyone in the community should come out,” Hunt said. “It’s going to be a great day.”

The final phase of construction work is on schedule and officials expect no problems meeting the April 5 date.

“The final touches are being put on and we’re really looking forward to the open house,” Hunt said.

The center will include a large fitness area stocked with new work out equipment, two competition pools for swim meets, a large basketball court, indoor walking track, a hot tub, vortex pool, waterfall, an outdoor pool and outdoor water slides.

“This facility is something the residents of Cullman should really be proud of,” Hunt said.

An all access, 12-month single membership plan for the center costs $45 per month, while a family plan is $65 per month.



Fitness and Wellness

The 15,000-square-foot fitness area will be managed by One Fitness, formerly SportsFirst, which is owned by Cullman Regional Medical Center.

Jim Weidner, CRMC president and CEO, said the name was changed to reflect the larger scope of services offered.

“That better represents what we’ll be bringing to the people,” Weidner said.

The fitness area will include access to 125 new stations of Cybex work out equipment (see the Spring 2009 issue of the Cullman Magazine for a full breakdown of equipment). Exercise classes, pilates classes, aerobics classes and spin classes will all be offered, as well.

The facility also includes a gymnasium large enough to host two recreational league basketball games simultaneously.

“For years, we’ve had 42 teams playing in one gym at Ingle Park,” Hunt said of the department’s recreational basketball program. “This is something we need. Now we’ll have more space to host basketball games.”

A suspended walking trail with a rubberized track is above the gymnasium, acting as a balcony above the court.

Saunas will also be available for members in the respective locker rooms.

A massage therapist will also be on hand at the center, though massages are not included with membership.

Conference rooms and multipurpose rooms will also be available for rent, which can be used for private meetings or gatherings.



Aquatics

Totaling all of the various pools, the Wellness & Aquatics Center has more than 700,000 gallons of water on-site.

The center includes a six-lane indoor competition pool, as well as an eight-lane outdoor competition pool for swim meets.

A large, heated indoor leisure pool sits at the heart of the complex, which connects to a vortex pool with a ceiling-mounted waterfall.

A hot tub sits across the room, large enough to easily fit a dozen people.

Approximately 30-foot-high water slides are also attached to the outdoor swimming area, as well as a children’s area with water guns and water buckets.

“The place is just amazing,” Hunt said.



Details

The $14.5 million center was paid for by a city bond issue, and has been in construction since late 2007 at Chester Freeman Park, across from the Field of Miracles.

The project was initially greenlit by former Mayor Don Green and the previous city council.

City council president Garlan Gudger, Jr., the only remaining member from the previous regime that approved the project, said it is great to finally see it come to fruition.

“This has been in the process for over six years and I’m just glad it’s finally coming to fulfillment,” he said.

Gudger said the center should create more revenue for businesses in town, as well as provide a location for aquatic sports and training.

“This will hopefully bring in more tourism to the area,” he said. “Another goal is to make sure all students across the county can have access to swimming lessons. This place is going to be tremendous.”

When planning the center, Hunt said security was a high priority to ensure the well being of members.

“We have 32 security cameras stationed around the facility,” he said. “Everywhere except the bathrooms and locker rooms.”



‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.