[manaboutown]

Thank you for the updates regarding the MVP and rec center facilities KathieI and Ooper. I look forward to immersing myself in TV life and meeting and getting to know some TV residents, especially some singles as well as a few of the gym rats. I do remember the wellness center was only in the upstairs part of the building. The mecantile store was large, so the MVP must be huge! That is good news to me.

[asianthree]

We have liftetime fitness (multi state club) $89. a month gives you every machine, free weights you can think of and no limit or waiting. 30 classes a day from yoga to low and high impact, wet and dry sauna. lockers. towels. trainers. indoor and outdoor pools resturant, and spa. Yes at TV we do have places to take classes however i sometimes find that i have to drive to 5 centers in one day to get in classes that i am use to, and lets face it indoor pool and hot tubs in January..... I don't think anyone would complain about paying a monthly fee for those perks.

[billds567]

I spent a few days at Terra Vista and the place is beautiful and nothing in TV touches the fitness facility... BUT, TV is far beyond any other retirement community and that's where I want to be. Bill

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by KittyKat

I agree with Batman to some extent. Mom & I live on SS and due to physical limitations do not use any of the facilities except for the pool. I think it's ridiculous that we pay an Amenity fee but it doesn't even include the use of a treadmill.

Was the lack of a treadmill a suprise to you after you moved in or did you know that prior to buying?
BTW I think it is ridiculous that I do not get a free beer after playing golf on the executive courses...after all I pay a monthly ammenity fee.

[batman911]

I also like the TV total package better than Terra Vista but that does not mean there is not room for improvement, especially in the gym, indoor pool and spa area. Comparing the TV rec center fitness areas to the one Terra Vista has is like saying a BMW and a Yugo are both automobiles so everything is equal. My view of the rec center "gyms" is that they are comparable to hotel fitness centers, not condusive to a serious workout for the seasoned gym rat but better than nothing. No negativity directed at TV, just believe given the size of the community, there is support for a much better facility. I know there are commercial gyms/spas available in the area but I would like to see a nice facility owned by the community that will always be there and not changing ownership every few years. Who would not like to see a facility like the one in Terra Vista built in TV? I would be willing to pay extra for that service and I believe others would as well.

[billds567]

Amen Batman

[Mudder]

Again, Batman, have you been to MVP ?

[Ooper]

Batman, did you know that the MVP has 37,000 sq. ft. and along with a multitude of classes ( over 150 ea. week) for all levels, they offer sauna and massage, 1 on 1 sessions with a fitness trainer and is run with a staff of about 90. You should check it out again.

[batman911]

I know about MVP but that is not owned by the community and could easily go bankrupt. If the community owns the fitness facility, there is no need to make a profit, only cover the expenses so the cost to the members would be less and the community could set the rules and what services/equiptment is available.

[ilovetv]

What is this building going up in TV, next to Mulberry:

The Club Health & Rehabilitation - Mulberry Grove East

Whatever it is, for membership fees or included in our amenities fee (I doubt it) I hope it has an indoor lap pool. Many people need to stay out of the sun, and Jan-Feb-March can be far too cold outside even with the pool water heated right.

[Biker B]

What are the monthly dues at MVP?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

What is this building going up in TV, next to Mulberry:

The Club Health & Rehabilitation - Mulberry Grove East

Whatever it is, for membership fees or included in our amenities fee (I doubt it) I hope it has an indoor lap pool. Many people need to stay out of the sun, and Jan-Feb-March can be far too cold outside even with the pool water heated right.

Doubt if there will be a lap pool.
DAVID R. CORDER, DAILY SUN The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — Health care rehabilitation in The Villages is acquiring a tony image in a caring and technologically advanced manner.

Greystone Healthcare Management is developing a 51,000-square-foot skilled nursing rehabilitation center designed to rival some of the finest resorts.

The Tampa-based company tentatively anticipates opening Club Health & Rehabilitation Center at The Villages, a prototype health care facility, in April next year at Belle Meade Circle and Mulberry Lane just west of Mulberry Grove Plaza Shopping Center.

Everything about the new facility will represent the best possible advancements in short-term rehabilitative care, said Connie Bessler, Greystone’s chief executive officer.

“We listened closely to our clientele, staff, physicians and health care partners in designing the club, incorporating the best ideas of each into the facility’s final design,” Bessler said. “Utilizing many culture change initiatives, the club will include resortlike neighborhoods, plush common and dining areas, spacious and beautifully appointed private suites, two state-of-the-art rehabilitation gyms, a wireless café and lush courtyards and water features.”

The facility will provide patients with upscale accommodations as they recuperate from procedures such as knee and hip operations, said Rob Yandek, the company’s director of acquisitions and development.

“What we’re really shooting for is a facility that aims to accommodate The Villages’ active seniors,” Yandek said. “We want to create a comfortable home environment to get them back home and get them active again. We’re also hoping to use this particular building as a model for other projects that we’re looking at doing in the future.”

Since its founding in 2002, Greystone has grown primarily through acquisitions. It now manages 28 facilities with 2,866 beds in Florida, Indiana and Ohio, including the Lady Lake Specialty Care skilled nursing home on Griffin Avenue.

The new project in The Villages represents Greystone’s first development project, Yandek said.

“We’ve grown entirely through acquisition prior to this,” Yandek said. “This is our first ground-up development. We’ve been working on it a while, and it’s very satisfying that we’re pushing dirt around now.”

Several factors account for why the company picked the Mulberry Grove site, Yandek said.

One of those factors centers on the growing health care industry in and around the commercial center, including The Villages Outpatient Clinic that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates, Yandek said.

“That was one of the things that was attractive about the area, the VA clinic being there as well,” Yandek said.

Company officials also liked the idea that the children of their employees would qualify for enrollment in The Villages Charter School, an important incentive in the employee-recruitment process, Yandek said.

“We also wanted to be within The Villages to have golf cart accessibility,” Yandek said.

The project is a good fit for the Mulberry Grove-area economy, said Scott Renick, The Villages’ director of sales and leasing.

“It’s a nice complement,” Renick said. “We’re happy to see them breaking ground. It’s going to give good exposure to all our businesses up in Mulberry Grove.”

Quite a bit of thought and planning went into this project, Renick said. The deal had been in the works for about a year and a half, he said.

“They were great to deal with, and the deal came together quickly,” Renick said. “It was just the regulatory hurdles we had to clear.”

Although construction has started, Yandek said, the company plans to celebrate the groundbreaking in a big way.

The public is welcome to attend a groundbreaking ceremony — complete with hard hats and gold shovels — at 5:30 p.m. May 24 on the site just west of Beef O’Brady’s restaurant.

Already, plans are under way to invite a high school band, a military color guard and several dignitaries, Yandek said. The event will rely on the neighboring Beef O’Brady’s for catering and Publix to bake the commemorative cake.

“We want to invite the whole community, especially the medical community,” Yandek said. “We’re hoping that everybody can come and enjoy it. We’re excited and really thrilled about this project.”

David R. Corder is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9066, or at david.corder@thevillages media.com.