Last week, Michelle Teirney shared the sad news that the Unitec Sports Centre will soon close its doors permanently.
See her message below, as well as some messages from the Sports Centre team…
Kia ora koutou
The Unitec Sports Centre will close permanently on Thursday 14 April 2022.
The land that the sports centre occupies has been sold to the Ministry of Housing and Development (MHUD) and will be handed over to them for development.
This news may come as a shock to some of you and we share in your sadness as this icon of Mt Albert closes. The land sales to MHUD have been a necessary part of Unitec’s financial sustainability and MHUD housing plans for the area, and we appreciate the community’s support as we navigate these changes.
We had hoped that members could continue using the centre up until 14 April, but due to the effects of Covid-19 on staffing and the health risk to Unitec students and staff in critical teaching classes held onsite, the centre is currently closed to gym members and will not open again.
What does this mean for Unitec students and staff?
Any Unitec courses currently scheduled to be taught in the sports centre will continue for semester one. We’ll confirm semester two plans soon.
For gym members, HealthWise and D-A-S-H online group fitness classes will continue until 14 April – please check the group fitness page for online options.
If you’re a current member of Unitec Sports Centre, we will cancel your membership effective immediately and you’ll still be able to attend online group fitness classes from now until 14 April 2022. Members with contracts through Debit Success will be cancelled automatically and won’t be charged any cancellation fees. Members who have paid upfront will be reimbursed for any remaining credit; please contact ureccen@unitec.ac.nz to arrange this.
We are exploring alternative local options and venues for health and wellbeing. Keep an eye out for our next communication where we’ll share a list of opportunities in the area, such as gyms, fitness and wellbeing classes and outdoor recreation spaces.
- Yoga/Pilates – Irina Petropavlovskaia: arytzira@gmail.com
- Pilates – Sarah Ross: essentialpilatesnz@gmail.com
- CrossFit – Ketaki Khare: info@aarohafit.co.nz
- Yoga – Dani Koifman: danibeyoga@gmail.com
- Pilates/Physio -Tanya Browne: tanya.browne42@gmail.com
Note the national squash centre is not affected by this closure and will continue operating; please contact the national squash centre with any queries.
A message from our Unitec Sports Centre whānau
The Sports Centre team has shared this message:
“The announcement that Unitec Sports Centre is closing will come with great sadness to many, and we recognise that it has been an important and valued part of Mt Albert for many years. On behalf of all the staff at Unitec Sports Centre (Andrew, Richard, Lesley, Rob, Michael, Joe, Patrick, Dee, Jake, Sarah, Irina and Dani) we want to thank you for being part of the vibrant sports centre community. We hope you valued your time here as much as we did, and we wish you all the best for your future fitness journeys.”
Richard Couldrey, Gym Team leader: “Having been at the centre for many years I have seen many changes, but what hasn’t changed has been the strong sense of community in the gym. Truly ‘a real gym for real people’, (as our motto once said), which I think made it special. The sports centre family (both members and staff) have made it a great place to work”.
Andrew Lenton, Team Leader: “I have had a great two and a half years at the sports centre. I worked at several other gyms previously, but none compared to the sports centre. The vibe between all the great members and staff was special. Most of all, I am proud of the staff for always going above and beyond to create such a great environment and, especially, seeing two of my former students (Dee and Joe) grow and develop during their time here. It’s sad to say goodbye to the sports centre and members, but the one thing that’s constant is change and I wish you all the best for your next gym/fitness adventures!”
More information
For more information, please contact the sports centre team: ureccen@unitec.ac.nz, or Jaala Jacobs: jjacobs@unitec.ac.nz.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the Unitec Sports Centre whānau over the years – our students and staff, members and community, who made it a welcoming, inclusive space. We wish you well with your future health and wellbeing.
Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui – Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.
Ngā mihi
Michelle Teirney
DCE Operations
sad news. so many good memories of the gym.