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Next Level Fitness slated to open in six weeks

By Howard B. Owens

Ken Mistler gave me a deluxe tour this morning of the gym at the corner of Jackson and Main he hopes to open in about six weeks.

The picture above is of a staircase that will lead to the lower level work out area and men's locker room. Mistler said a previous tenant built the staircase, but when the city would not let the business put an entrance to the building on Jackson, the staircase was floored over.

I copied the photo off the Facebook page Ken set up for Next Level.

Mistler seems to be putting forth the effort to create a first-class gym. The building is being completely renovated with new electrical (an upgrade required by new building codes implemented since the building's 1967 construction), new heating and cooling and such attention to detail as ceiling lights that defuse light so that people laying on a bench lifting weights won't have a bright light shining in their eyes.

There will also be a full sevice coffee bar accessible from Main Street.

The four-level building will also eventually serve as Mistler's home. He's building a residence on the fourth floor.

When I saw how much work is left to be done, I expressed surprise that it would take only six more weeks of work to get the facility open, but Mislter said the hard work is done (he did much of the jack-hammering in the cement floors himself to improve drainage (did you know there is an artesian well under that part of downtown?) and lay in new plumbing in the basement).

Previously, Ken told me a number of membership have already been sold -- and who can argue with the price? People can join for as little as $20 per month.

Mistler's gym looks like it's going to be a great addition to downtown, helping to bring a lot more people into the center of the city on a regular basis.

Howard B. Owens

I can't believe my ears either, but I've asked him about that a couple of times. I haven't asked details about any other requirements.

Apr 20, 2009, 12:48pm Permalink
Karen Miconi

I've been going for a few months to Ken's gym {The Old Powerhouse} now Better Bodies. I can't wait till he moves to Main St. Yes I pay $25 a month for a great workout. With my membership I was trained for an hour by Batavia's Big Brother, Pro Trainer, Tony Faletti. He has knowlege beyond his years, and truely cares about the people and their health. Tony also does weight training. This has changed my life for the better, now that I'm getting up there in age{44}. LOL I Highly recomend this gym!

Apr 21, 2009, 2:02pm Permalink
Karen Miconi

Chris, its pretty cheap now. I don't know, go down there today and ask. There is always someone behind the desk. The girls and the older gentlemen are very nice, and informative. Maybe I'll see you there, and we can do a few miles on the treadmill. I love to put it on an incline of about 7. What a work out!!

Apr 20, 2009, 3:05pm Permalink
Thomas Gahr

Wow. The mystery of the stairs to nowhere has been solved. I remember these steps from when I was a kid. The building was originally occupied by Alexanders department store. This would have been late 70's (????) before Alexanders was added to the long list of defunct downtown retail. The Pop Warner football teams used to have their equipment distribution in the basement of the building. I remember seeing the stairs to nowhere, and wondering what they were for. Someone told em that they used to use them for "fashion shows", which never made much sense to me. Funny to see the picture after 30 years...

Apr 20, 2009, 3:54pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Thomas, that's interesting ... If I remember correctly what Ken told me -- the stairway was never completed, in that there were no handrails until he installed them.

Apr 20, 2009, 4:22pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

Several years ago i met a gentleman and his wife that had purchased the house on the cornor of state street and washington ave. They were fixing the outside of the house or something and found that there was a bedroom that had been sealed off upstairs. From what I remember him telling me the room still had furnishings as a typical bedroom from the late 1920's. Real cool stuff. I have heard rumors that there are some tunnel like caves located under the southside of Batavia near the raised railroad tracks. Anyone else hear something like this. I believe that Batavia once had Bomb shelters?

Apr 21, 2009, 11:28am Permalink

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