BATTERY PARK CITY — Downtown residents will have to wait a little longer to work off their holiday calories at the new Asphalt Green gym and community center in Battery Park City.
The opening of the $55 million facility on North End Avenue has been pushed back from January to February because of permitting delays, Asphalt Green and the Battery Park City Authority said last week.
"There are many inspections, including Fire Department and Department of Buildings, necessary to receive a certificate of occupancy," BPCA President Gayle Horwitz wrote in a letter to Asphalt Green Battery Park City members last week.
"BPCA has been meeting with the contractor, designer and our expeditor to expedite this process as quickly as possible," Horwitz continued. "Given the lack of clear dates for these approvals, I believe that it would be prudent to delay the opening until February 1."
If the center is able to open ahead of schedule, those who have already purchased memberships will be able to use the facility for free until Feb. 1, said Carol Tweedy, executive director of Asphalt Green.
The 52,000-square-foot community center at 212 North End Ave. will feature a competition-length pool, a warmer teaching pool, a full-court gym, a 156-seat theater, a culinary center and classrooms for everything from a seniors' book club to circus arts classes for kids.
Memberships start at $105 per month for an individual, plus a $199 initiation fee, or $175 per month for a family with two adults and two children, plus a $299 initiation fee.
On Nov. 28, Asphalt Green will launch an online catalogue detailing program offerings and fees for a winter term starting in February. Members can begin registering for the classes on Nov. 30.
For more information, visit Asphalt Green Battery Park City's website or the membership office at 211 N. End Ave.
