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At the Mayor and Council meeting on Tuesday, February 17, the Mayor and Council introduced an ordinance approving a “Lease Agreement for Shared Use of Franklin Lakes Community Center” (“the Lease”), with Greens Do Good, a non-profit entity associated with Reed Autism Services (“Reed”). Reed currently owns and operates Reed Academy, a school for individuals with autism from ages 3 through 21, located on Parsons Pond Road in Franklin Lakes. A public hearing and adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for the March 3 meeting of the Mayor and Council, to be held at 7:30 pm in the Council Chambers at Borough Hall. The facility will be known as “Franklin Lakes Community Center in Partnership with Reed Autism Services.”
The Lease provides that Reed will operate a fitness center in the large room on the first floor, with the Borough purchasing the gym equipment for the fitness center. Membership will be open to the public. Reed will also lease most of the second floor for its own programming purposes, as well as a room on the first floor for a café, where it will serve food and refreshments for the public.
The Borough will have use of a portion of the fitness center room primarily for inclement weather needs and small group athletic training, as well as a room on the second floor for various purposes, including team meetings, group fitness classes and other programming. The Borough will soon be soliciting proposals for running group fitness classes in the second floor room.
It is anticipated that, once the ordinance is adopted, the Borough will order the gym equipment for the fitness center, and then Reed will open the fitness center for members - likely in June or July. After soliciting and receiving proposals for group fitness classes, it is anticipated that the successful vendor will move forward with scheduling classes not long after a contract is awarded by the Mayor and Council.
The Borough's partnership with Reed will serve as a model in inclusive community center programming, welcoming members of all ages and abilities. Stay tuned for more information including details on how to become a member of the fitness center and how to join group fitness classes.
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