Located in the Physical Education Complex, a pre-pandemic Jamestown community benefited from access to SUNY Jamestown Community College’s full-service health and fitness center. Called SUNY JCC Total Fitness, the program was closed in March 2020, in adherence to the SUNY and New York State COVID-19 mandate. Membership fees were refunded, as no one could predict an end to the pandemic, or the moment when it might be feasible to reopen the facility.
During the closure, the facility was home to community vaccination clinics conducted by Chautauqua County Department of Health. Though it was still functional in a sense, the day-to-day operations of the Complex suffered in the face of the shutdown.
As the state began to open doors in regulated phases, fitness facilities were among the last to receive the green light. Due to strict health protocols, facilities within the SUNY system remained closed. A phased reopening began for the JCC community late in 2021, as vaccination rates on campus were high, and infection rates low.
Two-and-a-half years after the initial shut down, community members consistently ask when they might again have access to amenities such as pool, track, racquetball court, and gym with weight machines, free weights, nautilus-style equipment and cardio machines.
“It is our primary objective to provide the community with a convenient and quality facility to improve their health and wellness, while remaining competitive in the public fitness market,” shares Steve Riczker, newly-hired executive director of the Faculty Student Association for JCC.
The college understands the communities need to have the fitness center open, and has missed the interaction Total Fitness made possible. In taking over as director, Riczker has assessed the best way to move forward is through a phased strategy that includes updates to the space.
Currently in the first phase of the plan, Total Fitness is open for JCC faculty, staff, and students, with limited hours. The pool will be open for public parties and other rentals. This phase also includes exploring improvements to the facility.
The second phase, slated for mid-to-late October, aims for reopening the facility to the public with new membership opportunities. Improvement plans will continue, with aims to explore funding for upgraded equipment included at this stage.
“We want Total Fitness to be worthy of the members who have been waiting for its doors to reopen,” Riczker said. “We are starting out with student workers, so we will prioritize our operating hours for high-traffic times, and we do hope to welcome the community back to the center in the fall.”
Riczker further explained that once staffing for the center is solidified, a rollout plan for public memberships will be shared. In the coming weeks, information will be made available through jccjayhawks.com/information/total-fitness.
