Performance Athletic Club expansion nears completion

An 18,000-square-foot expansion under way at Performance Athletic Club in Elko that’s expected to wrap up in mid October will make the facility the largest private gym in Elko County.

The total footprint of the facility is roughly 34,000 square feet, says Gary Mansour, who is representing the gym’s owners through the construction phase. Schell Creek Construction of Elko is the general contractor on the project, which began in February.

The expansion adds a full-court basketball court with seating for 800, a suspended running track and additional space for yoga, spinning and aerobics classes. It also includes locker and steam rooms and increases the size of the smoothie bar and café areas.

Public and membership demand for increased services drove expansion efforts, Mansour says.

“People kept telling us we need it, and we had a good membership base,” Mansour says. “We will be offering more services to the clients. People can play hoops or they can run in the wintertime indoors, and we will have more classes offered to the public. We are excited about the expansion.”

The gym is well-positioned to capitalize on the frigid winter months that grip Elko County, adds Rajiv Ratan, manager for Performance Athletic Club. Ratan expects winter months will see a boost in membership and use from Elko residents seeking escape from single-digit temperatures.

“The weather is very cold in the wintertime, and the indoor track will help boost our membership because a lot of people like to run throughout the year and there are not many options available,” Ratan says.

The new addition also gives youth in Elko County a few more much-needed options for recreation.

“There is not really much to do for youth here in town, and the owners are very motivated to make this town into a better place,” Ratan says. “They want to make Elko a good place for kids to grow up in and have things to do.”

Construction posed unique challenges — permitting always takes time, Mansour says. And the fleet of subcontractors working the site along the Mountain City Highway and staging areas for their materials took a big bite out of the customer parking areas. Many sections of the existing gym also had to be blocked off during the past six months as workmen tied the new facility into the existing footprint.

“We can’t wait for the construction to be over with,” Ratan says.