Health Center May Give Private Spas a Run for Their Money : Westwood Facility Offers the Amenities Without Steep Fees

The FBI has investigated the place. So have the executives who work in the high-rise office buildings nearby. And last week, when its doors were formally opened for the first time, more than 100 people stood in line to take a look.

The subject of this intense scrutiny? Surprisingly, it’s the city’s newest recreation center, a place so big and so well-equipped that some people are predicting it will give swanky private health spas a run for their money.

“Once people know about this place, I think it will be packed,” said Stan Kalsman, director of the new Westwood Recreation Center. “Why would anyone spend thousands of dollars to go to a private club when they can come here?”

Two Gyms

The sprawling, $5.4-million club at 1350 Sepulveda Blvd. has been called the Cadillac of public recreation facilities. It includes an indoor swimming pool large enough to hold about 300 people; two gymnasiums; tennis, racquetball and basketball courts; aerobics facilities; classrooms, and a child-care center.

Its 26-acre grounds also contain several playing fields. Officials say other facilities, such as a weight room, will be added as the center grows.

On a recent weekday, workers were still patching floors, adjusting the air conditioning and putting other finishing touches on the salmon, green and off-white, industrial-style building.

When it becomes fully operational later this month, the center is expected to draw thousands of people from adjoining offices and neighborhoods, including the FBI, which is headquartered in the nearby Federal Building.

Kalsman said activity fees will be nominal when compared with those charged at private clubs. Swimming will cost $1. Racquetball will be $8.

‘Largest We’ve Built’

“This is a one of a kind place,” he said. “It’s more like a YMCA than a recreation complex. And that’s the word that we’re trying to get out.”

Al Goldfarb, Recreation and Parks Department spokesman, said the center stands out among the city’s 150 other recreation facilities, some of which have more spacious grounds, because of its dimensions and its amenities.

Goldfarb could not say how the center compares with other public clubs around the country, but he said that he assumes it is one of the best.

“The facility is the most fully equipped, and it’s the largest complex we’ve ever built,” Goldfarb said. “It’s as nice as anything you’ll find.”

In a community that essentially spawned the health-club culture, the center is being touted as a boon for those who can’t afford private spas, as well as for those who would rather not pay the tab.

The club has also been called a pay-back for the intense commercial development Westwood residents have endured in recent years, since it was financed with parks and recreation fees assessed against Westwood-area developers.

State law says the parks and recreation money, known as Quimby funds, must be used in the area where the development occurs. Laura M. Lake, who heads Friends of Westwood, said residents have been desperate for a recreation facility and green space, because the area is so densely packed with buildings.

“Compared with other parts of the city, Westwood is far short of the recommended amount of parkland,” said Lake, who has monitored commercial growth. “We’re in such bad shape that we say thank you for anything.”

Source of Pride

Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents the Westwood area, said the center should be a source of pride for the community.

Given the choice, Yaroslavsky said he would rather have fewer high-rises on Wilshire Boulevard and no club. Under the circumstances, however, Yaroslavsky said development-weary residents have gotten a fine facility out of the deal.

“It looks like a private club except that it’s public and you don’t have to pay $3,000 to join it,” Yaroslavsky said. “There are a lot of people in West Los Angeles who can’t afford (private clubs). And I’m one of them.”

The city’s parks and recreation department officials are obviously hoping that others will feel the same way. Competition for the health-club crowd is fierce, with more than 30 private facilities located on the Westside.

By promoting the facility as the place where people can go for the burn without burning a hole in their wallets, Kalsman said the Westwood club should be able to easily draw a portion of the people using private clubs.

Picky Members

But Nanette Pattee Francini, vice president of the Sports Connection, which has clubs in West Hollywood and Santa Monica, said she’s not so sure.

Francini noted that weightlifting and cardiovascular machines, which the Westwood club lacks, are among the Sports Connection’s most popular features. Francini, whose club charges $468 per year, also said private health-club members tend to be picky about their instructors and the people they share showers and locker space with.

“These are intimate places,” Francini said. “And a real public place would not appeal to a lot of our members. They’re concerned with who they surround themselves with, because they spend a lot of time at the club.

“It’s nice that they built this for people who can’t afford private clubs,” she added. “But at this point, I’m not worried.”