VALLEY COLLEGE : Fitness Center to Open on Feb. 4

A new fitness center at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys will open for physical education classes when the spring semester begins Feb. 4.

Valley is the only college in the district with such a facility and classes are expected to fill quickly, campus administrators said.

About 2,000 students could be accommodated at the center, depending on budget constraints, said Gary Honjio, chairman of the physical education department and director of the fitness center project.

The center, which has been controversial because of its cost, will offer an organized program known as “Aerobic Super Circuit” developed by the Institute for Aerobic Research in Dallas.

Students enrolling in the flexible-hours classes will be assessed during the first two weeks of the semester and placed on individual computerized programs. They will work out a minimum of three hours a week at their convenience.

The center, located in the men’s gymnasium, drew some criticism because it cost more than originally budgeted. In early October of last year, the final budget for the center was estimated at $84,000. By Oct. 25, that figure had grown to $152,000.

Campus administrators said the reason for the discrepancy was that the original budget submitted by Dave Ogne, building and grounds administrator, did not take into account the cost of exercise equipment.

But Jack Sterk, president of the faculty senate, said he believes that the real price tag is closer to $250,000. He said the administration would not release “in house” costs to the faculty senate’s ad hoc committee that investigates campus contractual expenditures.

Ogne said that “in house” figures could not be released because workers were on eight-hour shifts and were scattered around campus according to need. They worked on the fitness center at odd hours that could not be logged, he said.

“We should still say that the cost of the fitness center, in total, would be at least $250,000,” said Sterk, who added that he is concerned about the center’s high cost especially because of recent budget cuts in the Los Angeles Community College District.