A former skating rink property in Monroe recently was rezoned to allow for a new recreational facility to set up operations.
Jonathan Scruggs, an Amherst County resident, seeks to turn the roughly 2.5-acre site that formerly was known as Skateland from M-1, Industrial, to B-2, General Commercial. Scruggs’ planned facility is to be called Mi-Fitness & CrossFit (MF&C), which the project narrative states is intended to become the best fitness center in the area dedicated to providing a comprehensive and holistic approach to health and wellness.
The Amherst County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 17 unanimously approved the rezoning for the parcel at 3106 S. Amherst Highway, which is a few doors down from the Monroe Community Center. The building of about 16,000 square feet will be renovated to include a gym, massage room and batting cages.
The building currently is used for storage and will meet a need for general wellness and fitness in the county, according to Scruggs’ application. He told the board he has looked throughout the county for a gym and he has a son who he has to take to Appomattox County to use batting cages.
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“This business will create enthusiasm and community involvement around sports and personal physical activity,” the rezoning application states.
The building will be kept in a well-maintained and professional state, the application reads. Hours of operation are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
Previous zoning actions on the property included a wholesale and retail modular homes operation that never opened and a bazaar or flea market, according to Tyler Creasy, the county’s director of community development. The project’s narrative states the fitness industry is experiencing steady growth due to increasing awareness of health and wellness.
“With a diverse population in Madison Heights, there is significant demand for a quality fitness facility… We aim to design individualized workout plans tailored to each member’s goals, preferences, and fitness levels,” the narrative reads.
The company’s mission is to be a quality health and well-being provider to the Amherst community and provide an open and welcoming facility with a structured environment that drives both personal and mental health, the narrative reads. The operation will provide daily structured CrossFit training and a developed nautilus and free-weight area for strength training with plans to include a portion of the facility dedicated to sports training and instructional mechanics/coaching for youth and college ages, the narrative said.
“While CrossFit training comes with its own set of expectations and well-known standards, this fitness location will focus on entry-level and intermediate fitness seekers as well.”
Scruggs recently told the Amherst County Planning Commission, which voted unanimously to recommend approval, he is a member of a CrossFit facility in Madison Heights that rents space and it will move into the new facility.
The front half of the building will be a gym and fitness area, the middle area will house three batting cages and the remaining space will be for CrossFit, a branded fitness regimen involving constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity, according to Scruggs.
Supervisor Tom Martin said it is interesting the building’s zoning is coming “full circle” — it started out commercial as a furniture company prior to the skating rink use.
“I do hope you carry through with those facade improvements,” Martin told Scruggs. “It would be nice to have.”
Supervisor Chris Adams said he has memories of roller skating in the building decades ago.
Adams told Scruggs: “We wish you the best in this endeavor and look forward to the improved aesthetics associated with the building.”
