Update
GEORGE NEWS - The George branch of Virgin Active will be closed from 26 August for two months while a temporary facility is being set up in York Street.
George Herald reported recently that the gym's lease agreement at its current premises on the corner of Langenhoven Street and Witfontein Road lapses at the end of August and that efforts to extend the lease had failed.
Comment is being awaited from the owner of the property, Marius van Huyssteen, about future plans.
A gym member complained to the newspaper about the two months' closure and the fact that no pool will be available at the temporary premises. "What planning was done in anticipation of the end of the lease?
"Everything is now being done in such a hurried way and the gym has to close for two months. Who is going to be the new tenant? Will they be filling up that beautiful pool? That will be such a pity."
In a communique sent out to members last week, Virgin Active states that the temporary gym will open on 1 November, without a pool or facilities like steam rooms and Club-V.
A new facility is being built, also in York Street, which is to open in September 2023. According to Virgin Active spokesperson Jacqui Walter, it will not have a swimming pool.
She said to compensate for the temporary closure and loss of certain facilities, the club is offering existing members a year of free membership and no annual price increase until the end of 2024.
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