Athletic Center expansion in progress

LAKEWOOD RANCH — With the Sarasota Open tennis tournament behind them, officials at the Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center now can turn their attention to the facility’s future. 

Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch recently received the permitting it needs to proceed with an expansion to its athletic center, located at 8265 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.

“We’re pulling the trigger,” General Manager Wayne Piazza said. “We’re basically doubling the size of the building.”

The project will add 5,872 square feet to the main building and an outdoor restroom near the swimming pool. 

The $2.3 million-plus project includes a total renovation of the facility and will take approximately nine months to complete. Pool service and summer tennis and swim camps will not be disrupted. 

Members will have access to the center throughout construction, except for a week before the reopening, when equipment will be moved to its final positions.

The first phase of construction will include the poolside restrooms and new wings to the existing building. Members will be able to use the original building throughout phase 1 of construction, which will last about four months.

During phase 2, equipment will be moved to the new parts of the facility for members’ use, while contractors gut and remodel the original 11,400-square-foot building, completed in 1999, to add lobby space, renovate locker areas and make other improvements.

“It’ll be a fresh look,” Piazza said, noting the new high-end design. “Now it’s going to be a part of the country club experience.”

Piazza said the new layout will better meet the needs of members, particularly for group classes.

“We’re not building it for now; we’re building it for the future,” Piazza said. “We’re building it to fit the different needs the building has.”

All membership options for the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club include access to the fitness center.

The athletic center last was renovated in 2004.