Seeing yearly rise in members, Choice Health and Fitness not expected to be impacted by Altru Sports Complex – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – The ongoing construction and overall anticipation of the Altru Sports Complex haven’t put a damper on business at Choice Health & Fitness, and the Grand Forks Parks District isn’t concerned about a possible overlap of services.

Choice has seen steady increases in membership revenue and visits since 2021.

“Our goal is to operate (Altru Sports Complex) a little differently than Choice. That has been one thing from day one that we wanted to be aware of and wanted to try fill in the gaps and not to duplicate,” Parks District Executive Director George Hellyer said.

Choice Health & Fitness opened in late 2012, costing approximately $23.3 million. The 160,000-square-foot facility offers numerous activities, including things like weight training, basketball and swimming. Its indoor and outdoor tennis courts host big events, including high school state tournaments.

The Altru Sports Complex, under construction along 42nd Street, is expected to be somewhere around 215,000 square feet and cost approximately $100 million. The complex will be funded by an existing 0.75% sales tax that was due to sunset in 2029 but was extended after a citywide vote in 2023. It will have a turf playing surface, pickleball courts, sports training areas and an Olympic-sized pool.

Both facilities are owned by the city.

Total membership revenue at Choice has increased from $1,653,086 in 2021 to $2,205,903 in 2025, and total visits to the facility have increased from 317,669 in 2022 to 365,288 in 2025, each following a yearly jump. Total visits exclude anyone coming to the facility for programs such as swim lessons, basketball, tennis and volleyball academy, among others.

Its memberships have risen from 4,470 in 2021 to more than 5,000 in 2025, which is one aspect that differentiates Choice from the Altru Sports Complex. The ASC will be non-membership-based.

“It will be a little closer to our ice rinks, where it is rental-based. That will be the main driver on revenue,” Hellyer said. “At the ice rink, anyone can rent an ice sheet for an hour, for example, and that is our same thought process with Altru Sports Complex.”

Soccer, football, lacrosse and other clubs will be able to take advantage of the indoor turf facilities and handle the programming. The Parks District will act as a facility manager.

Areas that may potentially overlap could be swimming. Members and daily guest passes have access to the swimming pool facilities at Choice Health and Fitness, whereas there are expected to be drop-in days or daily swim passes at Altru Sports Complex. That would likely be the same for the turf area, as well.

Choice has previously been mindful not to duplicate what the YMCA offers, which is a partner of Choice Health and Fitness.

“We don’t want to steal memberships from Choice or the Y, and then they just go across the street to Altru Sports Complex,” Hellyer said.

The rise in memberships and revenue at Choice reflects the facility’s consistent quality, which does not require updates beyond routine maintenance. Staying ahead, recent projects include a replaster of the pool, resurfacing of the tennis courts and all new equipment.

“We’re always keeping the user in mind and keep everything up to speed,” Hellyer said.

Altru Sports Complex is on schedule to finish construction by the summer of 2028, as recently reported by the Herald. The budget is on target for the projected $110 million cost of the complex.

Digital Content Producer and Sports Reporter at the Grand Forks Herald since December of 2020. Maxwell can be contacted at [email protected].