Ride the MAX out to Hillsboro and you'll get a glimpse of
central New Jersey circa 1985. Pastoral greenways are interrupted
by boxy office parks, virgin condominiums and familiar shopping
centers. Much farmland has been conceded to development, especially
acreage in close proximity to the light rail. This is a sign
of the times, a bellwether that is not so much lamentable
or positive as simply inevitable. There's just a lot of space,
people and jobs out there.
The nascent Hawthorn Farm Athletic Club, like the MAX itself,
is a crystalline indicator of change in Washington County.
Think Intel, Fujitsu and NEC. Think affluence, neighborhoods
with wide streets and healthy Oregon living. Now imagine
a fitness club positioning itself to grow old with this
community.
It doesn't have a prime view of Civic Stadium. It's not
rooted in old money or cozy with the old guard. It's not
even in Portland, but Hawthorn Farm promises to be an exemplary
health club--or rather a nouveau country club, given its
many resort-like elements.
Right now HFAC is a concrete skeleton, a gray shell of
its future self. The 60,000-square-foot structure, scheduled
to open early in 2000, will house luxury services far beyond
complimentary towels and body lotion. Notable features will
include four squash courts, indoor golf simulators, a rock-climbing
wall, a day spa, a physical therapy clinic, a Ticketmaster
outlet and both indoor and outdoor pools. These amenities,
of course, augment such givens as complete weight training,
aerobic classes, cardiovascular machines, an indoor track,
personal trainers and a restaurant.
More impressive than the quantity of services is the vision
fueling the club. When asked how HFAC compares with high-profile
gyms such as Crunch, in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco,
and the Prospector, in Park City, Utah, general manager
Pat Bannister claims there's no comparison. He says the
only other time he felt this good about something was when
he got married 19 years ago. "The stars are all in line
for this one," he says.
It seems remarkable, even in the context of the sales pitch,
that a mere building inspires such gushing. But discussing
the project with Bannister and marketing director Steven
Rullman, it's hard not to share in their giddiness. Hawthorn
Farm may indeed offer something special to the suburban
set: a rarefied community-center atmosphere where members
are as likely to lounge on the deck drinking smoothies as
they are to sweat through a round of step aerobics.
HFAC is operated by Northwest Club Management, the same
group that runs the RiverPlace Athletic Club, and there
are many similarities between the two centers. The same
standard of dedicated service that has distinguished RiverPlace
for 12 years will be applied at Hawthorn Farm. The interior
is to be designed by the same man, T.R. Hill of Hill Design.
As RiverPlace does, HFAC will direct at least 3 percent
of its net profits back to the community, donating equipment
to high schools and supporting charities chosen by the staff.
There are scores of other mirror features, the least of
which is a concierge who will make your dinner reservations.
But the most astounding difference--and the reason this
article is appearing now instead of next year--is the price.
Charter members who join now pay a $100 initiation fee,
then $65 in monthly dues. Bannister estimates current enrollment
at 350 and anticipates that there will be a waiting list
by Christmas. The opening membership cap is 2,000, and the
joining cost will increase incrementally until the cap is
met. After the club opens, new members will pay $300 to
get in.
By comparison, those wishing to become a part of RiverPlace
must shell out $625 up front, then $87 per month. And if
you can gain entrance to the Multnomah Athletic Club, it'll
set you back a whopping $3,500, plus $86.50 monthly. When
you consider that a club such as the Princeton, which offers
far less, charges $149 to join and $33-$40 each month, Hawthorn
Farm's value is evident. (All figures listed represent individual
memberships.)
Hawthorn Farm's current deal offers west-side commuters
and suburban residents a swanky sweat shop of their own.
It's another train worth jumping on.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published June 30, 1999
|
