This $37 million, world class facility figures to be perfect fit for Southlake

It took decades of planning, a special election, marathon late-night meetings and several years of construction but the city’s new Champions Club is finally ready to open to the public.

The 82,000-square-foot facility is loaded with cardio equipment, free weights, a multi-use indoor swimming pool, racing slides, child’s watch area, gymnasium indoor and outdoor turf fields, fitness classrooms, a sauna and indoor running track.

The $37 million facility opens to the public April 6.

Monthly memberships are available with discounts for residents and people who work in Southlake. Members get access to all the amenities with child watch being the only extra add on.

The affluent suburb is already known for its safe neighborhoods, exemplary schools, Southlake Town square and other destinations, Mayor Laura Hill said.

“Now it will be recognized for this world class facility,” Hill said at the dedication March 26. “Southlake citizens have continuously listed having a community center as one of their top priorities. I’m very honored and excited to welcome you to your Champions Club dedication.”

The highlight of the facility is the aquatics center with its 20-yard lap lanes, toddler pool, spa and sauna. There are also two basketball goals where members can play a game of pick-up basketball in the water.

A spiral staircase takes swimmers up to the racing slides that twist their way outside and then back into the facility. A cascading waterfall features logos, letters and, at night, LED colors. During the media tour it made out an M, short for The Marq, the overall name of the community center that also includes Legends Hall, which opened in 2015.

The facility has about 50 pieces of cardio equipment with room to expand to more. To get started, members just wave their mobile device on a designated spot on the machine.

“It recognizes its them, it tracks all their miles, their workout and all that,” Kate Meacham, deputy director of community services.

It also pulls up the user’s Netflix and other entertainment options.

Champions Club is also one of a handful of places that has Queenax machines. The facility has three of the versatile workout machines that can be used for everything from swing yoga to suspension fitness workouts.

There are literally 1,000 different configurations and options that personal trainers or individuals can do with the Queenax.

There are dozens of high-tech spin bikes with wireless connections to a drop-down screen so people can see how they compare to others in the class. The bikes and class times can be reserved ahead of time through the app.

The gymnasium features multiple basketball goals but it also has a volleyball net that drops down from the ceiling. It can host pickleball, too. There’s a center divider so different two different activities can be going on simultaneously.

The indoor turf room is 35 yards long, perfect for indoor sports practices, nerf wars and other activities. Just outside, there’s a 50-yard, lighted outdoor turf field featuring football and soccer goals on either end.

The half court and full court can be rented for practices, games and parties. There are several party rooms and meeting spaces that can be rented throughout the facility.

For the youngsters, there’s a child watch area with toys, games, video games, bouncy chairs, an outdoor play area and cribs. Members who have child watch on their plan can drop their children off as long as they stay on the premises.

There’s a separate unsupervised playground across the hall that’s like an indoor city park, with slides, an interactive wall and other activities that’s available to members but parents must remain in the room.

There’s also a new boardroom where the city’s Parks and Recreation board, Senior Advisory Commission and the Community Enhancement Development Corp. will have their meetings.

The CEDC was created after a special election in 2015 for the purpose of collecting a ⅜ cent sales tax.. That portion of the sales tax used to be part of Southlake’s Crime Control and Prevention District.

When the election passed, the city shifted ⅜ cents from paying for police facilities to funding the Champions Club. The CCPD still collects ⅛ cent sales tax.