by Carrie Moritz
One could say Bailey Slaby's journey with The Exercise Place is an act of providence. The gym wasn't listed for sale, but a friend suggested she cold-call former owner Tim Nelson. She was looking into the costs for roof replacement, but Depot Square owner Jamie Saucier called and asked if she'd be interested in moving the facility.
Depot Square was once known as a bar and bowling alley, and most recently, as Skrewballz. Mike and Jamie Saucier, along with Lori and Mark Caauwe, purchased the building located on the corner of 3rd Street and Depot Avenue a few years ago and began renovating it. It currently hosts Storage on Depot, Downtown Style Salon & Boutique, The Exercise Place, and soon, Annie's Coffeehouse.
"It's been really fast," Slaby said, as she described the past year of owning The Exercise Place, a 24-hour fitness facility. She took over ownership from Nelson the first of January 2021, after spending a few months transitioning.
She noted that Nelson's wife, Shar, had been up front about the condition of the building they were located in- it was fairly small, over a century old, and the roof was in bad shape. Slaby and her partner, Chase Tempel, opted to take ownership of both regardless and began looking for estimates.
"Jamie called me," said Slaby. "She was wondering if we'd be interested in this space she was going to have available in the old bar."
When they first viewed the space early in 2021, the coolers were still in place, and Slaby wondered how it was actually going to work, or even if it would be larger than the current space.
When she viewed it a few months later, however, it was completely transformed. She and Tempel decided it would be a good move and they began making plans. Tempel, who is fairly handy, helped building owner Mike Saucier ensure appropriate flooring was installed in the free weights area by removing some concrete himself, and helped build an office area with a window for customer service.
In the beginning of February, Slaby and Tempel dismantled the machines and moved the weights one by one, and re-opened in Depot Square.
The new location is larger, with high, open ceilings, bright white walls, three new and larger televisions, a room with an infrared sauna, and two tanning booths. It contains many of the machines that were at the old facility, along with a few new pieces of equipment.
"We plan to update piece by piece over the next year," Slaby said.
The facility also contains three treadmills, one elliptical, a recumbent stair-step-style bicycle, and a regular recumbent bicycle.
The free weights area is larger, with a slight separation between the dumbbells and the barbells. Slaby and Tempel added kettlebells and new resistance bands into the mix.
Slaby stated she's extremely grateful to the community for the support they've shown. In the first month since moving, they doubled their membership, and are now attracting members from the surrounding area, including Luverne and Brandon. She's loving the interactions with the members and their responses to the new facility.
Rates for membership are easy to obtain, and can be month-to-month or yearly pre-paid. Student, first-responder, and veteran rates are available. Currently, only Silver Sneakers is accepted, but Slaby noted that if enough interest is shown, she will ensure other insurance plan reimbursement options are pursued. A drop-in fee of $5 per visit can be done, as well. Tanning and sauna memberships are purchased separately.
Those interested in obtaining a membership or viewing the facility can message or call (605) 237-5265 or message Slaby on Facebook at The Exercise Place LLC.
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