By Oct. 1, Portage's Fitness First will become Anytime Fitness.
Shelly Ford, of JVBF Fitness LLC, said her company bought the center, at 2800 New Pinery Road, from developer Richard Lynn on May 10. Ford said her group already operates several Anytime Fitness centers and plans to have a grand opening as early as September.
"We're going to redo the club inside," she said. "From top ceiling to bottom, everything's going to be painted."
Ford also said a new security system will be installed. She said members will have access to any of the 1,250 Anytime Fitness locations in the country. The sites are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are aimed at both men and women.
Ashley Bond, the center's manager, said exercise machines eventually will change, along with fitness classes.
"I'm getting ready to put out a survey to our current members to figure out what they want," she said.
Yoga, Zumba and boot camp are among the possibilities. Bond said "boot camp" is strength training and cardio work. She said an Army instructor comes in to teach the class, but without actual Army boot camp yelling. Classes - Bond said she has four instructors - still will be held in a space toward the back of the center.
"It's going to be a club culture," Bond said.
Monthly membership fees will be $39 for singles, $69 for couples and $78 for families, Bond said. There also will be an unspecified initiation fee.
According to the company's Web site, the first Anytime Fitness opened in Cambridge, Minn., in 2002. There are more than 50 sites in Wisconsin.
mthompson@capitalnewspapers.com
745-3510