x
Breaking News
More () »

Old Hazle Township High School Gets New Life

HAZLETON — The old Hazle Township High School is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. Elevate Fitness opened at the beginning of the month. Kathy...

HAZLETON -- The old Hazle Township High School is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation.

Elevate Fitness opened at the beginning of the month. Kathy Chicalese of Hazleton was one of the first people to join.

"It's only like two to three miles from my house," Chicalese said. "I like what it offers. I don't have to leave the building to do yoga."

The fitness center is inside what used to be Hazle Township High School. The school closed in the '70s. Scott Gottstein recently purchased the property.

"Hazleton needs some new things coming in," Gottstein said. "We figure, Hazleton is a great place. We're here. I have a son on the way. I would like to see future generations have things in Hazleton that they're proud to go to."

Since Gottstein bought the building back in January. He's put in about $2.5 million into renovating it.

The gym not only has exercise equipment, it also does classes like yoga and cycling and will soon offer flotation therapy.

"We try to tie in together a whole package that you can go into one building and get all the amenities," Elevate Gym Fitness Manager Stephanie Blahoski said. "Yoga, massage, convenience. You don't have to worry about going from one building to another."

In addition to the gym, there are also commercial offices available for rent inside the building. Gottstein also plans to open up a cafe and juice bar.

"It's basically a neighborhood business -- in a big building, but a neighborhood-type of building," Gottstein said.

Chicalese is also happy to see a little bit of Hazleton's history transformed into something that she can use every day.

"I think it's great," Chicalese said. "It's a good opportunity for the community."

Gottstein hopes to have the cafe and juice bar opened in the next month or so and more to come after that.

Before You Leave, Check This Out