Do you belong to a health club? YMCA? Other fitness club? If so, you may want to look into one of the 6 new recreation centers built by the Orlando Magic in return for their new arena. Our taxes pay for the running of these so we may as well take advantage. Judy and I had the opportunity to tour the center that is on the Cady Way Trail near Goldenrod as part of the Goldenrod Community Alliance. The Board of Directors recently approved us being a member of this group. The FFW Club belongs to many cycling related groups which is our way of giving back to the community and bicycling.
The Freewheelers have a Thursday morning ride from Home Depot (at the corner Red Bug Lake Road and Aloma) at 8 am every Thursday. We ride past this Recreation Center every week. The Goldenrod Alliance is helping to rid the area of graffiti on the buildings along the Cady Way Trail from SR 436 to Hall Road.
There are 6 recreation centers around Orlando that were built at a cost to the Magic of about $5 million each. These are well maintained and offer inexpensive membership to use their facilities of about $100 a year ($75 for seniors over 55). The center had full basketball facilities (naturally) and also had a good weight room with free weights and machines (ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, etc.). It also had a game room with a few pool tables and other games. Judy takes Yoga classes at the facility on the south side off Narcoossee. The classes charge a minimum fee. We noticed Karate, Zumba and other classes cost from $2-5. The teachers split their fee with the county to help pay for overhead. The average electric bill alone is about $5,000 a month! The center also has the capacity to hold meetings (at a fee) and can hold about 130 people complete with a kitchen to serve light fare. More info is available at www.orlandomagicocflgyms.net.