Lifetime Fitness Coming in 2014

The turnout, the protests, most importantly the facts, won’t make a difference at tomorrow nights Town Board meeting to be held indoors at Greenburgh Town Hall on Hillside Avenue. Inside, with air conditioning and seating, a viable sound system, there will be the final venue to disappoint more town residents about the uncaring, unresponsive, calculating, manipulative and dishonesty their Town Board routinely operates with as they pass the motion to sign a contract with GameOn 365. And, to thoroughly discourage the residents who proudly believe they will be contributing in the very best of government with their participation and having their voices be heard, they'll be starting the festivities earlier than usual at 6:30PM. 


For the uninitiated, the earlier starting time will be to accommodate more of The Paul’s usual campaigning, aptly disguised as issuing awards, proclamations, musical performances, student films, special recognitions and accolades to various people who may have done something of note, or not, within the Town. It’s also his way of thinning the opposition as people begin to wander out at 8:30PM and then 9PM waiting to speak and ask questions that will not be answered by The Paul or his Stepford Board. They will sit at the dais doing their own impression of Mount Rushmore, but without the nobility of real statesmen. Residents will leave frustrated because they have lives and have to get ready for work or camp the following day. Quick, adjourn to executive session: Mission accomplished!


GameOn 365 will have their supporters there as well, espousing the benefits of their projected 94,000 square foot recreational dome and exterior fields and courts behind the “bubble”. They’ll have seemingly significant concessions they will offer the Town if only the Town will sign a contract with them. A public referendum as to what to do with this property would be unacceptable to The Paul, and ultimately his Stepford Board - because he told them its what they want. Once again, the will of the people will be ignored by our “leaders”. But wait, you say, both parties can withdraw from the “deal” if the Planning and Zoning Boards say no, and that must mean something. In any other Town or Village across America, it might, but not in Greenburgh. The Paul and the Stepford’s will do what they’ve done before with so many projects and simply change the zoning to what GameOn 365 wants. It will be a repeat of what happened several years ago with the Westhab property in Fulton Park when the Zoning Board voted against changing the zoning and The Paul and his Stepford’s changed it to the worst of the worst zoning ever to be used in Greenburgh!


Many of the GameOn 365 supporters complained at the Wednesday and Thursday night meetings held outdoors, “on-location” at the old Frank’s Nursery site with The Paul, several Town Commissioners and GameOn 365 representatives, that The House of Sports representatives, soon to be opening in Ardsley, in a commercial area no less, did not have a right to speak at this meeting because they were competitors of Game On 365! Wow! Here’s a bit of news for you: in America, even Greenburgh, everybody can speak their mind. If GameOn 365 supporters were concerned with competition, what of the latest news from Harrison?


The Harrison Town Board has approved the demolition of the Journal News building on 1 Gannett Drive, clearing the way for a 209,000 square foot Lifetime Fitness facility expected to be completed by 2014. Frank McCullough, an attorney representing Lifetime Fitness, announced that the company hopes to tear down the current Gannett building and begin construction by next year.

The much anticipated fitness center has received praise from the town board throughout the application process. It will include three swimming pools, two tennis courts and a full-service spa. There are also plans for a separate children's gym, more than 400 pieces of exercise equipment, squash and racquetball courts and a two-story rock-climbing wall.


GameOn 365 will indeed receive their sweetheart (done)deal tomorrow night! But if the competition from Ardsley is proving too much for them to handle, what happens once Lifetime Fitness opens? Will GameOn 365 pull out of their only-to-be-gotten-in-Greenburgh-deal? Will they forge on, or fold after a few short years, leaving the Town with the same unused property with unusable foundations for more years to come? Let’s hope there is a clause in the contract to write The Paul an exit strategy story from GameOn 365 if things get a little difficult for them? We’ll have to see. Game on.