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Farmville is one step closer to having a free to the public fitness court. During their Wednesday, Feb. 12 meeting, the town council gave final approval to putting the project in the budget, while also getting more of a timeline for when certain things will take place. 

Back in December, the council agreed to partner with the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) program to build a fitness court in town. 

The total cost for this project will be roughly $258,500. The $50,000 grant cuts the town’s portion down, as does a $30,000 donation from Aetna. That $258,500 breaks down into $175,000 for the fitness court/studio, a maximum cost of $45,000 for the concrete slab it goes on and then the assembly of the equipment, which can only be done by an approved installer from the NFC, which is $38,500.

So right now the estimate is at $258,500 but some of the pieces could be lower than estimated. As mentioned, the town will be responsible right now for $178,500 but that could be reduced through grants and donations. In earlier meetings, Town Manager Dr. Scott Davis had said he’s reached out to the Lions and Rotary Club to see if they’d be willing to contribute towards the project. 

When would this happen? 

So what would the timeline be, for this to be built? By August of this year, the goal is to get a firm location approved by council. Currently, discussions have centered around the area near the splashpad. There are three requirements for a location. First, the proposed site location must be recognizable, with high visibility for the community. Second, the location must be heavily trafficked and centrally located for the town. And third, the location “must be integrated with pedestrian infrastructure,” near a trail or sidewalk. 

The council would also need to approve the site layout and art designs for the project by August. Then in September, the concrete installer would be scheduled, followed by the fitness court getting assembled in October. The fitness court assembly takes a full team approved by the National Fitness Campaign (NFC). 

Detailing the fitness court project 

The NFC invites communities to come up with one of two options, either a fitness court or a combination fitness court/fitness studio. The town or county identifies a potential location for it, while bringing together multiple sponsors to help cover the cost of construction. 

There will be no workout machines or anything like that as part of the project. Instead, think of workout stations where you can stop, do your exercises and move on to the next one. There’s also the opportunity to build a fitness “studio” on the opposite side, a place where local businesses or individuals could schedule anything from aerobics classes to yoga. 

Farmville isn’t the only area where this is being worked on. In fact, Henry County, near the North Carolina border, and James City County, have both already completed their respective projects. While Henry County’s version hasn’t opened yet, James City requires reservations for group fitness classes at the “studio”, due to how popular the project has been. Reservations open every Sunday for the following week.