Some huge plans for the founder of the Underground Gym, a centre for youth, after securing a new facility on East Victoria Avenue, between Simpson and May Streets.
Peter Panetta tells us the community support to obtain this has been surreal, as he prepares to use both floors of the roughly 10,000 foot square site. “The game plan down the road will be to have the main floor for the youth centre, and the kitchen, for the young ones. And the upstairs will be all fitness.”
The gym founder expects financial donations to help insure it.
He’s hoping to have the kids in there as soon as possible, adding they will notice a huge difference from the old site on Simpson Street.
“Whatever individual programs we have, for example, tutoring or music, they’ll have their own space and be able to focus on what they have to do. That’s the big difference from the old youth centre, where we had everything compacted into one room,” says Panetta.
The gym founder adds he’s also had electricians offer to make sure the building is safe. He’s also still amazed at how quickly $90,000 was raised to buy the building, after the Simpson Street site was damaged after a fire.
