Plans to build a $17 million, 88,000-square-foot full-service fitness center in Urbandale have been indefinitely postponed, according to city officials.
The project is the second of two major casualties in Urbandale because of the economy. The first came in October when Brunswick Bowling terminated its contract with Mid-America Group to develop a site for a bowling center in the Northpark Business Centre at 8901-9099 Northpark Drive.
A global credit crunch and loss of earning has led to an economic recession that is forcing many companies to cut back.
Lifetime Fitness had proposed building a multi-story building with outdoor and indoor aquatics facilities, basketball and racquetball courts, personal training and group fitness programming, child-care centers, café and spa.
Urbandale Community Development Director Paul Dekker said the city was prepared to issue a building permit to the company before it was informed of the project’s cancellation.
“They were down to the 11th hour in terms of getting read to start the project,” Dekker said. “Not only is there the loss in substantial property tax growth the city would have realized, but probably more important than that is the face it would have set an elegant and high-quality for the city.”
The building would have been located at 11200 Douglas Ave., off Interstate Highway 35/80. The land is zoned to accommodate an office park, including a health club.