Staff and gym members share their thoughts after being told the gym would be closed.
SPRINGFIELD, Ore.–Weights have been lowered at two training centers in Springfield and Eugene.
Elements Health Club announced June 27 that it will be closing its West 11th Street store in Eugene and along Harrow Road in Springfield. Members must either move to an Oakway Eugene location or cancel their membership.
It was a very emotional day for the staff and members of the gym. They know that these past few days will be the last days they will work or work out together. Gym member Zach Childers said he enjoyed making connections with fellow gym members and staff.
“Honestly, I feel very disappointed,” Childers said. “It’s very painful, all the employees, I feel really sorry for losing their jobs.”
In a meeting with Elements staff members, management announced the store would be closing by Friday, June 30, leaving staff dumbfounded to comprehend the uncertain fate of their jobs.
Assistant manager Nicole Bash said, “I have a lot of good connections with the members and they’re my friends, so it hurts, but it’s just hard.”
Two Elements gyms on West 11th Street in Eugene and Harlow Street in Springfield will be permanently closed.
Gym members said they had received no advance warning or information about the closure, many of which learned through social media. Megan McKinley didn’t like the lack of communication and wondered why the sudden closure.
“Owner, I don’t know what happened there, but it’s shady at best to give you three or four days’ notice, which is really disappointing,” McKinley said. “It kind of hurts for all the members who were really committed to this place.”
Many members were informed of the impending closure only by signs outside the gym or on social media.
Despite their frustration, gym members say the environment has always appealed to them, especially when they needed it most. Carolyn Borland said she started going to the West 11th Street store when her husband was ill and she eventually died. She said it gave her an important way out of her current situation.
“I started going to him when he started feeling unwell when I was taking care of him, so it’s been great,” Ms Borland said. “It gave me a place to escape without feeling like I was abandoning him.”
But after Friday, gym members’ only options will be to go to an Oakway store or find another gym. Regional Fitness Director Sarah Keepers said the primary focus is on giving members the best last days possible while helping make the transition as smooth as possible.
“It’s bittersweet, sure.” Keepers said, “This place is a big part of my heart. But at the end of the day, it’s the people who did it. You know, people are everywhere, It’s just a building, it’s just a place,” he said.
