Former downtown MEC store getting new life as health and fitness centre
A colourful mural was painted on the sides of the old Mother's Music store when it became a market in 2014. JOHN LUCAS
Life is coming back to two large vacant downtown Edmonton buildings that are being transformed into fitness centres.
The former Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) store at 124 Street and 102 Avenue will become the city centre’s flagship Evolve Strength facility, location owner Johnny Wacko said Friday.
The 2,300-square-metre space, left empty after MEC moved to its new Brewery District outlet last spring, will include 21 offices for chiropractors, massage therapists, dietitians and other health and welfare practitioners, Wacko said.
It will also have a Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio, physiotherapy, a vegetarian restaurant and a personal training space and gym featuring Olympic and power weightlifting equipment.
The parking lot on the east side has 96 stalls, and there are places to put 24 bicycles, Wacko said.
“It’s an iconic building in the area. There’s very few buildings in the downtown area that are that size. It’s on a high-traffic corner — that area has the highest population density in Edmonton.”
Wacko expects 50 to 60 people will work in the facility, mostly independent practitioners who lease space. He plans to add four large picture windows to the west wall before opening in early January.
Meanwhile, eight-time women’s world boxing champion Jelena Mrdjenovich is converting the old Mother’s Music building at 109 Street and 102 Avenue into a boxing-focused fitness facility.
