The Marsh, Minnetonka’s longtime favorite wellness center, will close in December after nearly 40 years in business.
The North YMCA, which has operated the center since 2020, recently announced its December 31 closure, making the center financially unviable after a significant drop in membership during the COVID-19 pandemic. said.
YMCA CEO Glenn Gunderson, who was unavailable for an interview Tuesday, said in a statement and email to members that the property had been sold and that most of Marsh’s operations would go to the Ridgedale YMCA. Membership has halved since 2019, he said.
Proceeds from the sale will be invested in a welfare initiative honoring the legacy of Ruth Stricker, the prominent Deephaven philanthropist who founded Marsh in 1985, according to Gunderson and Bruce Dayton. was the late retail executive who founded Target. He was the father of former Governor Mark Dayton.After Stricker died In 2020, her family donated the center to the Twin Cities YMCA.
For years, Marsh advertised amenities such as restaurants, therapeutic pools, and physical therapy, rather than just fitness centers.
“It was like an urban resort,” said John Fribals, a member of Marsh for nearly 30 years. “There’s nothing quite like Marsh.”
Before it became trendy to combine physical fitness with mental and spiritual health, Stricker, a former YWCA instructor, championed this approach. She and Dayton called Marsh a “balance and fitness center” that blended Eastern and Western practices, from Tai Chi to treadmills.
Speaking to The Star Tribune in 1990, Stricker said, “We’re beyond the rush to the perfect body. Now we’re enabling health and fitness to do what matters in life.” I am reminded that it is a vehicle and not the goal itself..”
Freivalds said Marsh is not just a place to sweat, it’s also a place to relax and take a Buddhist class, which he said was part of his appeal. The fitness industry has changed over the years, and Marsh has attracted an older clientele, he said.
“Today people just want to do things a la carte,” he said.
For Peg Meyer of Minnetonka, a member of 16 years, Marsh was a place to make new friendships and keep seniors active well into their 80s. She worked out at Marsh three to four times a week, and after working out in the pool or studio, she would often meet other women to enjoy coffee or lunch.
“It wasn’t just your average Y,” Meyer said, adding that he still hopes someone will buy the building and keep Marsh going. I need it. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Another longtime member, Lori Johnson, said she was concerned that the closure of Marsh would mean people with mobility problems would lose a place to exercise. built, she added.
“We are truly blessed. It’s a beautiful place, a beautiful space,” Johnson said. “What’s remarkable is the whole experience.”
