The new Sisters Athletic Club is a large and versatile facility. Nugget News photo

Sisters Athletic Club is ready to open its new18,000-square-foot facility on Highway 20 at the east end of Sisters on Monday, April 5.

The expansive new club will be much more than a workout facility, according to Tate Metcalf, facilities general manager.

"True, we're going to have a full athletic club with all the up-to-date workout equipment, but we'll also have meeting rooms for public events, a snack and juice bar open to the public, indoor swimming pool, and exceptionally nice locker rooms with separate steam rooms for men and women," he said.

The original club facility on West Hood Avenue will close Thursday, April 1, allowing time to move equipment into the new building, which will officially open Monday with a public grand opening scheduled for the end of April or the first part of May.

"We'll call this a 'soft opening,'" Metcalf said. "It will give us a few weeks to work out any bugs and to make sure all is working well. We should be all moved over this weekend and ready for our regular opening time of 5 a.m. next Monday."

Metcalf is the general partner in the athletic club. Bill Willitts, Chip Dickinson and Metcalf own the building along with "shareholders" Phil Arends and Ross Kennedy.

Dickinson, formerly with Chicago Mercantile, was actively involved in the construction process.

"Willitts was the driving force behind the construction," said Metcalf.

"All of our memberships will be transferred and active at our new place, without any additional initiation fee. We'll waive those charges for all who belong to our Hood Avenue club," he said.

The original facility is 5,000 square feet, less than a third of the size of the new building.

"One of the things that will make our new facility unique is that it will be a social club as well as an athletic club," he said. "We're going to have a studio room where we can seat 150 to 175 people for concerts, dramatic arts and other group meetings. We'll also have a smaller board room that will hold ten or twelve around a meeting table for smaller groups."

The entrance foyer will highlight a waterfall and fountain and a rock fireplace that will be fired by gas but can also use wood logs. There will be leather couches and chairs in the entrance, called the "common room," for casual groups such as book clubs.

One of the unusual particulars, and sure to be popular with parents and grandparents, is the special family locker room where youngsters can change clothing in the presence of his or her parent.

"The problem has always been what to do when a mom takes her young son to the pool or gym. Which locker room do they go into? Now, we have a mom and son or dad and daughter dressing room," Metcalf said. "It's not unisex for grown-ups but only for kids and parents."

Willitts' wife Zoe, who owns the adjacent Shibui spa, will operate a massage studio on the second level.

Theraputic Associates will also be housed on the second level, as will the club's offices.