A Place to Gather
Subtitle
The Pinecrest Community Center is opening its doors to provide fitness, games and classes as the city continues to improve Pinecrest Gardens, the old site of Parrot Jungle.
From the outside, the Pinecrest Community Center looks ordinary enough.
A covered walkway connects two main buildings, rich wooden slats overhead giving the subtle impression of some friendly abode in the Adirondacks.
But it is really a $7 million addition — accompanied by a multipurpose field called the Vita Course — that took two painstaking years of hard work to finish.
The complex includes a library still under construction and scheduled to open next month.
When completely finished the village will have a state-of-the-art facility for residents to stay fit and well-learned.
The indoor fitness center may be completely open to the public as early as the next couple of weeks.
“We’re still dealing with construction crews” finishing last details, said Claudia Caldwell, program events coordinator for Pinecrest’s Parks and Recreation.
The 1/3-mile Vita Course with five stations is already open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
The renovated park also boasts two new soccer fields.
“The Pinecrest Community Center and Vita Course will add to the village’s extensive park system and provide a much needed recreation facility that will serve as a gathering place for residents to enjoy Pinecrest Gardens,” Village manager Peter G. Lombardi said.
The transformation of Pinecrest Gardens was no easy task though.
Pinecrest Gardens, formerly the site of Parrot Jungle, required an all-around metamorphosis.
For the younger crowd, there is a spacious white room dubbed the Teen Room, complete with mod-style green carpeting and large windows to let in plenty of sunlight in the afternoon.
Intended mainly as an after-school hangout, the Teen Room comes equipped with a large-screen TV, a foosball table and a bevy of games to play — the only thing the space needs now is kids and teens to make the most of it.
Near the Teen Room is the Movement Room, complete with shiny new wooden floors for activities such as kickboxing, yoga and dance.
The fitness center in the another room provides all the amenities of a gym.
“It has state-of-the-art training machines as well as free weights,” Caldwell said.
The treadmills have their own TVs, she added.
The village caters to all ages.
Aside from a Silver Sneakers program for seniors sponsored by the Pinecrest Health and Fitness Center, nearby residents ages 55 and older can participate in “55 and Alive,” a driving refresher course.
The new center has educational aims as well.
Anyone interested in taking noncredit courses will be able to do so through Miami-Dade College.
For the creative types, music classes will be sponsored by Yamaha and art classes will be instructed by independent teachers.
The city formally dedicated the center on May 31.
Mayor Gary C. Matzner presented a plaque to artist Romero Britto for his contribution to the center: A donated sculpture.
Britto’s merry work of art, positioned in front of where the future library will be, brings color to the new center.
The mayor later cut a green ribbon to represent the center’s grand opening. Wielding a huge pair of scissors inscribed with the words “Village of Pinecrest,” Matzner officially declared the center open for business with a snip of the ribbon.
Now it will be up to residents to use the facility.
If You Go
The Pinecrest Community Center is opening in about the next two weeks with the Village offering memberships for its gym, teen room and other indoor facilities. Classes offered at the center will be discounted to members. The outdoor Vita Course is free and open to the public.
- WHERE: Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Rd.
- HOURS: Center: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; currently closed on Sundays.
- COST: $390 a year per adult Pinecrest resident, $490 for each nonresident; seniors at least 65 $225 per resident; $280 for a nonresident; family membership $705 residents, $880 nonresidents. The rates are 25 percent off if purchased by July 30.
- FOR INFO: 305-669-6942
Photographs And Caption
VILLAGE TRANSFORMATION: Pinecrest’s new $7 million community center features a fitness room with treadmills equipped with TVs and recreation rooms for classes, games, reading and more. The center also features a multipurpose field.
Credit: PHOTOS BY CARL JUSTE/MIAMI HERALD STAFF