Outdoor Gyms Pitched For City Parks

A New Orleans-based ​“outdoor fitness” company has set its sights on helping New Haven parkgoers break a sweat while exercising in one of the Elm City’s open greenspaces.

That company is called FitLot.

During the latest regular monthly meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners last Wednesday, FitLot Executive Director Adam Mejerson made his pitch for why the city should work with his company to set aside public park space to build out circular, 1,400 square-foot outdoor gyms.

Mejerson said his company has already facilitated donations and helped construct ​“outdoor fitness parks” in all 50 states, including in Newington.

These exercise-equipment circular parks contain ​“a combination of moveable elements, calisthenics equipment, pieces that have an adjustable disc-break mechanism,” and incorporate ​“cardio elements and strength-training elements outdoors and available for everyone to use.”

“This is about making it as easy as possible for people to walk outside their house and have a safe, welcoming space they can use to exercise,” he said.

Mejerson said that FitLot ​“assists with the planning and the development and the fundraising for the parks” for the cities it partners with. He pitched the parks commissioners on working with FitLot to identify existing New Haven parks that already have a playground and where ​“fitness equipment would complement additional facilities that already exist.” FitLot would then ​“take on the development responsibility” and handle the donation of equipment and construction of the park.

How much would this cost the city? asked Parks Commission Secretary Harvey Feinberg.

“It would be free to the city. We would do the fundraising and development work, and try to find a philanthropic supporter,” Mejerson said. All that his company asks of the cities it partners with, he said, is to maintain these new outdoor fitness parks long-term ​“like any other playground or facility” overseen by a municipal parks department. ​“We would find support for all of the upfront costs involved.”

“This seems wonderful,” Parks Commissioner Kenya Adams-Martin said. If the city signed on, would FitLot build out these fitness parks in just one public park? Or multiple?

Ideally one per neighborhood or ​“council district,” Mejerson said. ​“We’d really look to all of you locally to think through where these parks” would best be located. He said these fitness parks usually fit well next in the vicinity of public park playgrounds. ​“I like to think the adults should also have a space next to the playgrounds to be active and exercise on,” he said.

How big of a space do you need for one of these fitness parks? asked Parks Commissioner and Fair Haven Alder Ernie Santiago.

“It’s only 1,400 square feet,” and 42 feet in diameter, Mejerson said. He said that, when fully activated, these circular fitness parks can have 15 to 20 people working out all at once, usually with a coach ​“keeping everyone moving around the circle. It’s a wonderful community builder and public health intervention.”

How do these parks and this equipment stand up to inclement weather? asked Parks Commission Chair David Belowsky.

“It’s all powder-coated steel,” Mejerson said. ​“We have parks in Anchorage, Alaska and in Buffalo that are performing great. It’s really the saltwater that is more troublesome” than anything else.

“I wouldn’t think about any spots within 500 yards of saltwater,” he said. Otherwise, these parks are pretty resilient.

While the parks commissioners spoke favorably about the proposal, they didn’t take any vote on FitLot’s pitch before closing out the meeting. A representative from FitLot did not respond by the publication time of the article to a followup request for comment about the company’s next steps in its plans to work with New Haven.