BLOOMINGTON — Dozens of fitness classes, personal training and child care are among the features slated for the first downstate LA Fitness location, set to open in the Twin Cities later this year.

The 45,000-square-foot facility will open at 2103 N. Veterans Parkway, the former site of Bloomington’s Parkway Cinemas. Demolition of the theater began Monday.

“We looked at all the downstate markets,” said Bill Horner, senior vice president/chief real estate officer for the company, headquartered in Irvine, Calif. “You want to be really particular with where you place clubs and it’s really a function of how strong the market is (and) the positioning and traffic through the area.”

Horner said an exact opening date and hours for the Twin Cities club are yet to be determined. The company chose Bloomington for one of its new sites because of the flow of traffic on Veterans Parkway and the overall economic health of the area.

LA Fitness will hire 35 to 45 employees this summer, when pre-sales of memberships also will begin. Rates for the Bloomington location are yet to be determined, said Horner. The company’s website promotes a $39.99 monthly membership with no long-term contract and no initiation fee for those who enroll online.

Horner said memberships include the use of cardio machines and weight training equipment, as well as a variety of classes. Personal training and child care are extra.

Classes offered at LA Fitness locations include aerobics, aqua fit, belly dancing, boot camp, pilates, strength training, step, yoga, Zumba and classes geared to seniors. Its Kids Klub also offers games, study stations, play mazes and reading sessions for children ages 3 and older.

Plans submitted to the city include a first floor with a spinning room, an aerobics room, locker rooms, a circuit and free-weights training area and a 25-yard lap pool. A second level will include a basketball court, three racquetball rooms and a cardio area, according to plans.

Parkway Cinemas closed three years ago after a 20-year run in Bloomington-Normal. The eight-screen multiplex was once a premier Twin City movie destination.