They Gave so much, and Now they are Taking it Away

Olympic Athletic Club - Ballard



Olympic Athletic Club stickers on the back windshield of cars are so ubiquitous in this city - you'd think that everyone was a member. Any why not be?- when the cost of gym membership comes with the added bonus of 24-hour parking lots in the heart of downtown Ballard. I've been know to park overnight after one too many beers at a Conor Byrnes Trivia Night - and it comes in handy on Friday and Saturday nights when cruising for a parking spot can turn into the nights activity.


The Olympic Athletic Club might just be the perfect gym in Seattle - Sound, Mind, and Body in Fremont might have an idyllic location - but the actual gym and the attitude of the staff leave much to be desired. The chains are all located in the burbs. Then there is the UW IMA which is an impressive gym complete with smoothie bar, olympic pool, and climbing wall. But then there is the little thing about having to be a member of the University.


Needless to say, until the past two weeks I have been a fan of the Olympic Club gym. No longer. Apparently, the gym is being turned into a 4-star hotel - with construction to begin this fall. How do I know this? Was there a news release to gym members perhaps? Or maybe an informational display at the gym? No and no. There has been no sign that construction is to begin in a mater of months- but the SeattleTimes and PI have been feeding information about this new mega hotel for the past month. When I asked the front desk about the reports, I was met with attitude "The gym isn't going to be turned into a hotel, it is going to incorporate a hotel"- and then was told construction will begin in 3 months. Well, great, but what does that mean for me as a member? How will my membership and time and the gym be disturbed? The fact that the staff has been so secretive only serves to heighten my apprehension regarding this transformation.

So what does this mean for me? It means that I am now shopping, once again, for a new gym.