Lifetime Fitness “At this point, it’s not happening

MOUNT LAUREL — There will be no water slides, hot tubs or gym memberships coming to a redevelopment site on Church Road.

A plan to build a 102,442-square-foot Lifetime Fitness has been halted because of a dispute between the national company and landowner Mount Laurel Development. The Bellmawr, Camden County, developer failed to meet one of the conditions of the contract, according to Lifetime Fitness spokeswoman Lauren Flinn.

“We gave them an extension twice, and they still didn’t come through,” Flinn said.

She declined to provide further details.

Lifetime Fitness has two facilities in New Jersey. The ill-fated Church Road site would have been the company’s first in South Jersey. It has no other plans to develop a facility in the region.

“At this point, it’s not happening,” Flinn said.

Edward Sheehan, an attorney representing Mount Laurel Development, referenced the stalled project during a Planning Board meeting last Thursday. He told officials that the developer was working to create an alternative plan for the site.

Sheehan did not immediately return messages seeking additional comment.

Construction permits had been issued for the project, but township officials said they had not been formally notified about the change in the plan. According to Mayor Jim Keenan, a member of the Planning Board, approvals granted to the project are valid for three years should Lifetime Fitness and Mount Laurel Development decide to resume their partnership.

“It may happen. It may not happen,” Keenan said.

The project received its final approvals from the Planning Board in April. The center was to include two indoor pools, a gymnasium, several locker rooms, a child care facility, a salon, a café and space for weights and cardiovascular fitness equipment. Other rooms were dedicated to fitness classes and member activities. The outdoor space featured a third pool, two water slides, hot tubs, and a refreshment sales area.

The developers also planned a bank and commercial space that could accommodate two small retailers.

Following approval, Mount Laurel Development demolished 16 vacant houses and had vegetation cleared from the site where the fitness center was to be built. The project was intended to be the first of a two-phase redevelopment initiative.

The second phase is still awaiting final approvals from the Planning Board. The plans call for a 93,000-square-foot Wal-Mart and parking lot. A public hearing on an amended version of that plan was held Thursday, but a review of the plan was continued.