AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- The fitness center in Area 2 is scheduled to close permanently on Dec. 15 and a newly renovated fitness facility is projected to open on Jan. 20 in Area F.
For the past 15 months, Tanya McCormick and Luca Del Tin, 31st Force Support Squadron fitness and sports center directors, led a combined team from the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron and 31st Contracting Squadron, working to convert a vacant warehouse into a fitness facility.
"The Falcon Fitness Center in Area 2 was a structurally old facility," said McCormick. "This new facility is bigger and newer to really help our Airmen reach the fitness goals set forth by the Air Force."
The new facility, dubbed the Wyvern Fitness Center Annex, will house all the functions of the current Falcon Fitness Center to include:
· A multi-purpose mat room that can house martial arts and wrestling
· Cardio equipment
· Expanded functional fitness options
· Traditional weight training
· Multi-purpose wood floor for unit physical training, fitness classes and a half-court basketball court
"The facility in Area 2 was being underutilized and it was inconvenient for a lot of the Airmen who work in Area F," said McCormick. "Now we have it in a location that better serves the Airmen and helps develop our community as a whole."
The force support squadron was allotted wing funds to renovate the older building, which used to house the now-inactivated 603rd Air Control Squadron. The project cost the wing approximately $500,000 for the construction of locker rooms, upgrading the building infrastructure, installing sport impact flooring for weight cardio area and sports turf flooring, installing two large commercial grade fans for ventilation and a front desk counter.
"Normally, a project like this would require 2-4 years of waiting to get higher headquarters approval and funds to even start the project," said McCormick. "Luckily, wing leadership deemed this project a high priority for the Aviano community and it was pushed through without delay."
McCormick attributes the quick-building success of the project to the project leaders, the civil engineer squadron and the contracting squadron. Del Tin and she oversaw the work of more than 20 different contractors from its inception on paper to fabricating items for the building.
More improvements are scheduled in the near future, including 24/7 common access card access. But, until that access is approved on an Air Force level, the Wyvern Fitness Center Annex is scheduled to be open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Due to this new facility opening, the new hours for the Dragon Fitness Center will be from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
"We ask for patience during the closure month while fitness equipment is moved from the Falcon Fitness Center to the Wyvern Fitness Center Annex," said McCormick.
Editor's Note: Information from an article written by Tanya McCormick was used in this article.