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— Multifamily Properties Quarterly — July 2015
Amenities
by Ryan Gager
With so many multifamily projects
in Colorado and the Denver metro
area coming on line, it can be diffi-
cult to differentiate between proper-
ties. Unit size and shape may vary
slightly, and finishes can help dif-
ferentiate, but for the most part one-
bedroom and two-bedroom spaces
are similar. Instead of focusing on
the actual units, many properties
are standing out with community
amenities that emotionally draw in
residents. According to a 2013 Apart-
ment Resident Preferences Survey
from the National Multifamily Hous-
ing Council and Kingsley Associ-
ates, the most popular community
amenity is a fitness center, with 84
percent of residents rating it very
important.
“There is a lot of competition in
the multifamily industry, and since
fitness is one of the most important
amenities to perspective residents,
many projects focus on this area,”
said Bruce Schlagel, vice president of
commercial sales for Advanced Exer-
cise Equipment. “It is not necessarily
just creating larger fitness centers or
adding more equipment, but instead
it is about matching the fitness ame-
nity with the prospective resident
demographic and the building fin-
ishes to help create an identity for
the property.”
Amenities are not only essential
in helping attract new residents,
but also are important in helping
maintain a high percentage of lease
renewals. The fitness center is a
great way to connect people socially,
create a stronger sense of commu-
nity and provide a situation where
residents are more likely to stay and
be a part of the community.
The first step to any successful
fitness center is a well-thought-out
plan designed by professionals. After
the initial client consultation and
planning sessions, creating two-
dimensional or 3-D renderings and
layouts is a great way to view the
fitness facility and serves as a blue-
print for success.
“Each project is unique and
requires a deep understanding of
the property location, demographic,
level of other amenity offerings
and, of course, the size and bud-
get for the allocated fitness space,”
said Jody Huddleson, multifam-
ily commercial fitness consultant
with Advanced Exercise Equipment.
“Make sure the clients can see a
lifelike visual of the fitness center
to ensure you are capturing the
essence of their needs. Incorporate
as many of the property finishes and
color schemes into the renderings to
provide the client a true conceptual
feel of their perspective fitness cen-
ter.”
When creating a fitness center
that will help give your property a
competitive advantage, Huddleson
identified several overlooked areas,
which can help your property stand
out.
Ambience.
Although the type and
quality of equipment are critical
components to creating a well-
designed space, you also need to
take into account the overall feel of
the room. Keep open sight lines with
larger equipment in the back of the
room. Subtle features such as floor-
ing, lighting and wall graphics also
can improve the look of the room,
making it a place that residents will
want to visit repeatedly.
New trends.
Stay up to date with
the latest, cutting-edge fitness
trends and understand what resi-
dents in your demographic want.
Filling a room with equipment and
calling it a “state-of-the-art fitness
center” is a strategy from the 1980s,
said Huddleson. Many new fitness
projects include an element of func-
tional and group training to meet
the demand for how millennials are
training.
“Some of the best rooms I helped
design came as the result of exten-
sive meetings with the client,” said
Huddleson. “It is a true discovery
process to understand their goals
and provide concepts to match
those goals.”
Dare to be different.
Adding a
unique piece of equipment to a fit-
ness center may help differentiate
your property from the competition.
“One of our clients added virtual
kick-boxing machines to their fit-
ness centers, and it is one item that
people always comment on during
property tours,” said Huddleson.
“Inserting an exciting element to a
fitness room can generate a buzz
around the property.”
Programming.
Having an eye-catch-
ing space with great flooring, light-
ing and new equipment is impor-
tant, but the key ingredient is main-
taining utilization. Facilities have
many options for programming,
such as bringing in local instructors
and personal trainers, or purchas-
ing on-demand group exercise plat-
forms that allow video programming
of popular classes like yoga, spin
cycling and Zumba.
With the complexity of today’s
fitness centers, multifamily proj-
ects should engage with fitness
professionals early in the process.
There are many considerations that
weren’t relevant 10 years ago, which
can impact the final outcome of a
project. Fitness and exercise consul-
tants now have a more prominent
role – instead of just selling equip-
ment, they are experts in every
phase of the fitness center, from
information technology, and cable
and television compatibility, to fin-
ishes, fixtures, flooring and program-
ming. “I am fortunate enough to
have done this for almost 30 years,
and my experience has allowed me
to help clients avoid mistakes and
create a fitness center they can be
proud of,” said Huddleson.
s
Photo courtesy: Jody Huddleson
Wall graphics and art improve the ambience in a fitness room.
Photo courtesy: Kim Baird
Video programming can help maintain utilization.
Photo courtesy: For Rent Media Solutions
Natural light and open sight lines make facilities inviting.
