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Batavia Park District and River West Family Fitness Center Reach Agreement to Combine Operations in Proposed Downtown Recreation Center

The Batavia Park District and River West Family Fitness Center are jointly announcing they have reached an oral agreement in principle for the fitness operations of the proposed recreational facility in downtown Batavia. The orally agreed to terms include current River West Family Fitness owner Chris Hylton managing the operations of the new facility. Mr. Hylton’s expertise in the fitness arena enables the Batavia Park District to begin operations with the most key personnel position already in place. In addition, Mr. Hylton’s existing client base would be absorbed into the proposed recreation center. The current River West Family Fitness Center (108 1st St. in Batavia) would no longer occupy the space they are currently in, providing opportunity for additional economic development in close proximity to the proposed redevelopment.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for the Park District, River West and the residents of Batavia,” said Patrick Callahan, President of the Batavia Park Board. He added, “An issue that has come up in discussions has been how this project would affect Chris’ business. His participation in this project puts that to rest with a first rate businessman from Batavia managing a first rate facility”. Chris Hylton is equally enthusiastic about the plan. “The space River West currently operates in is a great historical limestone building. While we love the character of it, it doesn’t allow for some modifications to make us as competitive as we need to be. When I saw the proposed development, I instantly realized how much more user-friendly it would be for my clients and the residents who could join and get a great value”. Mr. Hylton also stated “Our current space would lend itself better to retail and professional services and the location would benefit greatly from it’s proximity to the new recreation center”.

According to Batavia Park District Executive Director Mike Clark, “This agreement in principle would put Mr. Hylton in the position of managing all of the fitness operations of the recreation center. Other Park District programming, including senior citizen services, recreation and other classes would be operated by our professionals currently performing those responsibilities. A formal agreement is pending as the recreation center development is put before the voters in November’s election. “I cannot stress enough that if the voters approve this referendum, their tax bills will not go up as a result. The bonding authority the Park District maintains with our AA- bond rating, along with substantial savings through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act make this opportunity the most attractive and prudent financial development plan we’ve ever seen”.

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