White: Eau Claire back in the game with athletic club

Calgary Herald

2 days ago

Many Calgarians, back in early 2021, were sad to hear the downtown's Eau Claire YMCA was closing after 33 years. I am happy to report the site will reopen in early July as the Eau Claire Athletic Club. The mega makeover retains the pool, gym, running track and two squash courts, but also includes designated spaces for several golf simulators, separate Pilates, yoga, spin and dance studios and a state-of-the art weight room. There is even a Nordic spa. There are also office spaces for private healthcare service providers to rent.
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And yes, it is family friendly! Kids will love the pool, gym, programs for all ages and they even have their own virtual games room. There will also be daily childminding services.
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The interior décor is elegant with its four-storey tall water feature in the middle of the central staircase as the highlight. On the main floor is a members and guests-only restaurant, bar and lounge, as well as a small public café accessible from the new Eau Claire Plaza. The pool is spectacular with its huge window onto Eau Claire Plaza.
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In its heyday, the late 1990s, the Y had 10,500 members. But over the years that number dwindled to 1,300 while the cost of operating the building increased dramatically, as did the cost for repairs and upgrades to a 30-plus-year-old building. It became too much for the YMCA to manage.
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Some city council members thought the City of Calgary should buy the building and convert it into a public recreation centre, but a motion by Coun. Jeromy Farkas to do so was defeated. I expect administration told them it was not cost effective to upgrade and operate the building as a public recreation centre based on the revenue that would be generated by the fees the city could charge.
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The building was put up for sale and Telsec bought in late in 2021. They explored various options — from converting it into a hotel to tearing it down and building a residential tower. But in the end, they decided to refurbish it and create a luxury private recreation centre.
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Kudos to Telsec for retaining the building — as its human scale and timeless brick façade will create a people-friendly edge to the new Eau Claire Plaza. I was invited by Kris Van Grieken, president of Telsec, to tour the old Y building when they were contemplating what to do with it and again for a preview tour. I am amazed at how they have kept the building's bones the same, while transforming it into an upscale 21st century athletic club. It is an impressive and expensive makeover.
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Who is Telsec?
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Telsec, originally established in 1976 by Dick Van Grieken, remains a family-owned, Calgary-based business. It initially focused on providing small office spaces with administrative support, effectively acting as a precursor to modern co-working spaces with their 'fully equipped offices for less than the cost of a secretary' tagline.