“M” Stands For — Well, You Decide

“Why the m?” clients and the curious are asking Burch Valldejuli and Pablo Perez about their new mActivity fitness center in the Goatville section of the East Rock neighborhood.

The answer to the question is an open-ended one as far as the owners at the 285 Nicoll St. establishment are concerned.

Originally the m referred to ​“measured,” a nod to the philosophy of Valldejuli and Perez in providing health and fitness services grounded in evidence-based, peer-reviewed science. Further discussion has inspired a word cloud of possibilities: mindfulness, milestone, maximum, and a host of ​“my” phrases. The owners are happy to let clients find their own positive meaning for the letter.

After months of planning and construction, mActivity opened its doors in late December. The 20,000 square-foot space was carved from a portion of a massive industrial complex totaling 190,000 square feet of development potential. The mActivity footprint had been occupied by a dense, indoor maze of hulking machines — colorful, oddly shaped wonders waiting to be sold by Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp., the world’s largest equipment supplier of second-hand wire, cable, and optical fiber machinery.

In addition to mActivity, building owner Rick Narang has been exploring the mixed-use potential of his complex, one of the last pockets of light industrial real estate in the area. The plan is to attract tech-oriented companies along with other live-work-play possibilities. Facility manager Rishi Narang, Rick’s son, noted that the building has already received some approvals from city planners, including for 95 basement-level parking spaces.

“Names are already being discussed, with ​‘East Rock Technology Center’ as one idea,” said Narang. IRIS, the nearby integrated refugee and immigrant services agency, is also slated to relocate to the facility after renovations are completed.

The space at the new mActivity fitness center is now filled with web-based, synchronized cardio equipment: treadmills, exercise bikes, ellipticals, cross-trainers, stair climbers, and rowing machines, boasting spa amenities that include steam and sauna rooms.

Other exercise options mActivity offers include a turf zone, TRX, Pilates, a cycle studio, and a full-service gym that includes an ​“adult recess” area. In addition to the variety of scheduled group classes, clients can access online screen-directed programs tailored to their own schedules and interests.

In establishing a community of health, mActivity focuses on a triad of physical, social and emotional aspects of overall wellness. With a nationally certified staff of fitness coaches, a dietician/nutritionist, rehab and post-transitional physical therapy services, mActivity has positioned itself as more than the standard gym. Its owners seemed destined to have arrived at this unique fitness and community model.

Co-owner Valldejuli was born and raised in Greater New Haven. She has spent more than 30 years working in research and research administration. She was the director of program development at the Yale School of Public Health and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education, earning an Ed.M. in counseling and consulting psychology. Perez, a New Haven resident, gravitated to the fitness service industry after a career as an All-American rugby player at UConn, where he earned a degree in business. He previously owned Core Fitness in North Haven, where Valldejuli became a client. Their mutual vision of opening a comprehensive fitness center was hatched there.

With a desire to create a facility that could also serve as ​“East Rock’s living room,” the owners enlisted architect Fernando Pastor (pictured) of SEEDnh. Pastor specializes in restoration projects fueled by a passion for repurposing and preservation. One of the more prominent reclaimed elements installed at mActivity is a 19th-century paneled wood bar salvaged from a pub belonging to All American football and NFL star Doug Flutie.

Other elements, including doors, floors, and tables, have been upcycled and grace the airy and light-filled spaces at mActivity. Pastor was happy to report that the clean-lined minimalist renovation was accomplished for $50 per square foot, split between the landlord and new tenants.

Friends of East Rock Park and other local organizations have already begun to use the spacious conference room, which Valldejuli said will soon host art exhibits and be put to other creative uses.

An interior cafe decorated with colorful banners abuts a handsome lounge area with comfortable, modern furnishings and lush plants supplied by Lucian’s Greenhouse of Hamden.

Tall windows provide ample light for reading material that includes a collection of Lapham’s Quarterly. 
 

Owners encourage clients to use recreational board games that brighten the wall next to an indoor bike rack for those not wishing to use the ample outdoor racks. 

Outside, a generous patio fronting Nicoll Street will soon sprout umbrellas and cafe tables — a place where patrons and the public can enjoy whole-food smoothies, organic coffee and teas, or health-oriented foods from the ​“grab-and-go” menu prepared by popular local vendor Small Kitchens — Big Taste. mActivity’s owners view nearby East Rock Park as a natural amenity that can augment wellness opportunities beyond the business’s doors. 

mAcivity is not looking to compete with lower cost, ​“value-based” gyms that are often part of chain operations, Perez said, noting that mActivity’s fees are commensurate with its holistic and professional services and amenities. mActivity has no initiation fees, no sales staff on commission, and no gimmicks, according to the owners.

For those living outside of the East Rock area, a trip to mActivity may inspire a serious case of neighborhood envy, as well as a desire to get into shape. The public is invited to a formal ribbon cutting and grand opening festivities on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 4:30 p.m., when mActivity celebrates its arrival as ​“not just a neighbor, but part of the community.”

For more information visit the mActivity website or contact mActivity wellness director Linda Gottlieb at (201) 936‑9446.