As Featured in the Ewing Observer
Get in PEAC Condition
October 2004
By By Joe Emanski

Mercer County property values have soared in recent years and Ewing's have gone right along with the trend. Now Ewing will have a first-class, state-of-the-art health and fitness center to further improve the quality of life for those who work and live in the township.

PAC, meet PEAC. For seven years the Pennington Athletic Club has been located on Reed Road in Pennington. Grown out of that building's 25,000-square foot capacity, PAC will be reborn, barring construction delays, in late October as the Pennington-Ewing Athletic Club.

In renovating PEAC's new 85,000-square foot facility, housed in a former ETS warehouse on Lower Ferry Road, PEAC President Michael Briehler delighted in using the knowledge he and his staff have gained in operating PAC to make PEAC a next-level facility for its 3,000 members.

PEAC will offer three group exercise studios, expanded cardio, strength, free-weight, private training and stretching areas, two tennis courts, a basketball court, racquetball courts and international squash courts. The court area will feature a two-lane walking and jogging track.

From the acoustics of the Tai Chi studio to the design of the showers and locker rooms and even the way the original art on the walls will be hung, every aspect of PEAC has been carefully considered.

"The first facility was a great learning curve to perfect, from a facility standpoint, our ability to respond to our members needs", said Briehler. "It takes some of the guesswork out. We know what we do really well. By incorporating tennis, track, and having more space, now we can go into performance training. And one of our key components is we've created a 'kidspace' so the children of our members have their own space to occupy their time".

Synergies with other enterprises will also be a hallmark of PEAC. Hoping to help busy parents reduce the number of stops they make in a day, Briehler sought out the Lakeview Child Center to take 11,500 square feet in the building. Also a state-of-the-art facility, Lakeview's eighth child center is slated to open in early October, offering year-round services for children age six weeks to pre-school.

Taking these synergies even further, another 3,500 square feet of the building will be occupied by a Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton's rehabilitation center. The occupational and physical therapy provider will offer a diverse range of services.

Briehler, whose family once owned the Stage Depot and Pennytown, in Pennington, saw the fitness industry as a growing phenomenon when he decided to move from corporate real estate to entrepreneurship seven years ago. A partner in the property in addition to his role as PEAC president, he gave Observer staff a personal tour of the building, which was still in the construction phase, in late September.

Upon walking in the main entrance, you will be greeted by the site of rows of cardiovascular training equipment, such as bikes, steppers, treadmills and elliptical trainers. Beyond them in the expansive, open design are five rows of strength equipment, each designed to offer a different training regimen.

These rows illustrate the PEAC philosophy of appealing to all ages and lifestyles. A common barrier to entry for people thinking of joining a fitness club is the intimidation factor - big giant he-men who want you to get out of their way so they can dead-lift a dumptruck over their heads while sneering at the teensy little barbells it took you a minute to lift.

But Briehler and his staff, based on their years of experience at PAC, have designed PEAC so that you can start at the beginning of one equipment row and get in a good, organized workout in a reasonable amount of time. By encouraging a systematic process, both visually and training-wise, Briehler expects people of all shapes and sizes will be able to complete an effective routine.

This philosophy is further demonstrated in the free weight areas, which are separated into rooms for average everyday fitness enthusiasts, and another room where hard-core weightlifters can grunt and impress one another all day long.

In the center of the building PEAC branches off into the studio area, where members can participate in exercise programs, and the new courts area, where clients will have the opportunity to consolidate their weekly exercise routines.

"Many of our current members perform their fitness workouts at PAC and play tennis at another location," Briehler said. "At PEAC we will bring all of this, along with squash, under one roof."

Bill Kurtain, from Winning Touch Tennis, and Stephen O'Keefe will be coordinating the tennis program, which will include instruction, clinics, programs and workshops. Should the tennis programs outgrow the current two courts available, the basketball court can be relocated into an area marked for future expansion. The present basketball court will be available for open play as well as eventual member leagues.

The one-eighth mile, rubberized, cushioned walking-jogging track is another feature that current members will be happy to see added to PEAC's offerings, while the squash courts will be outfitted to international specifications.

In the studio area, members will be able to take advantage of the luxury of three separate, program-oriented rooms. Studio I has been designed for group cycling, or spinning, classes. Studio II's resilient flooring system is ideal for stepping, boxing, kicking, jumping or dancing, while the soundproof Studio III will be home to PEAC's yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi classes.

Briehler cites diversification as one of the greatest changes to the fitness industry since he's been involved. People have found strength training combined with a cardio workout has improved their overall body condition, he said. A guiding principle in the design of the new facility has been to make it so members can do as many varieties of activities, and as many options within activities, as possible.

A typical PEAC member works out three times a week, although some people go five days or more, Briehler said. At peak times, which are from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., 250 to 300 people are likely to be exercising. Many members allot an hour for workout time, but PEAC's expanded design is tailored to make even longer workouts comfortable. Briehler is cognizant of the need to make fitness not only a health benefit, but a social benefit as well.

"We have some members who will do a 20-minute workout in 60 minutes," he said. "There is a reason we call this a 'club', not a gym. People spend all day in a cubicle and this is their adult outlet, so we want to make it comfortable to be here longer."

Given the hectic pace of today's parent-commuters, PEAC's expanded, 4,000-square foot kidspace makes a lot of sense. The 21st century equivalent of what gyms used to know as the nursery, the kidspace is staffed to handle children from infant age up to age 14 and large enough to give each age group its own space. The kidspace will feature toys, activities and computers to occupy children's minds while parents get their workouts in.

With Lakeview Child Center in the same building, parents also have a convenient day-care option available to them next door.

The attention to detail does not end when the workouts and socializing are over. PEAC's expansive locker rooms and showers have a country club feel, with hardwoods and Italian ceramic tile making the sensation complete.

As examples of just how much attention has been paid to detail, the mirrors in the ladies' locker room have been designed to offer the perfect light for applying makeup after a workout while the men's mirrors are angled and shielded so they can shave without anyone calling out, "You missed a spot!"

PEAC also delivers on many other fitness club perks, such as personal trainers with private workout rooms, private massage areas and steam rooms.

"Exercise is hard. It's work. But we want to make this place so nice, you want to come here, and your kids want to come here," Briehler said.

PEAC offers memberships to individuals, couples and families, as well as seniors and students. They also offer corporate accounts to about 70 companies, many of which are able to provide memberships to their employees at a discount.

Upon joining the club, new members go through a detailed orientation process that includes an assessment of their current physical condition. PEAC staff members are able to educate those people who are not familiar with fitness, so they understand not only the equipment side but also the benefits, the objectives they should set for themselves.

In partnership with Robert Wood Johnson, PEAC will also offer seminars and workshops on health-related issues. These programs, which might cover topics such as diabetes and obesity or cancer awareness, will be open not only to members but also to the Ewing community at large.

In looking for a new location, Briehler wanted to remain as close as possible to PAC's original site.

"Because we've made such a commitment to the community, we didn't want to relocate any long distance," he said. "We were fortunate to find a location of greater size within a mile of our current location. I can't really say I set my goals to be in Ewing, but after finding a location in Ewing and working with the township officials, it's been a real pleasure. They've been very supportive."

During construction, PEAC is not offering tours. Those interested in membership information or tours for after the new facility opens should call (609) 883-2000. PEAC is online at www.peachealthfitness.com.