Gold’s Gym is coming to Montrose, and even though the community is trying to get a new recreational center

MONTROSE, Colo. — Gold’s Gym is coming to Montrose, and even though the community is trying to get a new recreational center built, a support group says it is not worried about competing.

“We don’t really think that it has an impact because they really cater to different markets,” Friends Of Montrose Community Rec Center member Jason Ullmann said.

In order for the rec center to be built, the community has to vote yes on ballot measure 3A.

“This is such a huge benefit to the community for a very small cost,” Ullmann said. “Two cents on every $10 dollars to get the facility that’s proposed.”

“We’re getting a very positive response people saying that it’s about time mMntrose had something like this,” member of the Friends Of Montrose Community Rec Center Barbara Bynum said. “Facilities like this exist in Delta, Cortez, Fruita, Gunnison and it’s time we have something here in Montrose.”

And a local business man, Mike Gordon, has reassured the group the community is on board with the rec center. He donated $100,000 to help with funding.

“The message is there’s a huge business in town that really supports this and thinks it’s good for the community, thinks that it will provide amenity infrastructure that helps his business,” Ullmann said.

“It might allow them some wiggle room in their budget,” Bynum said. “It might allow them to add a little something or it might decrease the burden on the tax payers. There’s a lot of ways a $100,000 can be used.”

But the main reason for the rec center is to make sure all the people in Montrose have a place they can enjoy.

“I think it would give the seniors in our community something to do. We’re looking at 60 new or enhanced programs at a new rec center just for seniors,” Bynum said. “It’s also the kinds of things families can do together, it’s the kind of affordable place that families could come on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon to recreate together at an affordable price.”

The ballots are due by April 3rd, and the Friends Of Montrose Community Rec Center group says if measure 3a is passed, work will begin immediately because no other approvals need to be done.

If all goes well the rec center will be up and running by the middle of 2014.