Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
Pine Community Center raises membership rates for first time since 2009 opening | TribLIVE.com
Pine Creek Journal

Pine Community Center raises membership rates for first time since 2009 opening

Maria Sosso
8790080_web1_pcj-northerntier-080824
Harry Funk | For TribLive
New membership rates for the Pine Community Center will start Oct. 1.

Membership rates at the Pine Community Center are going up for the first time in 16 years.

Since the center’s opening in 2009, base membership rates have remained unchanged. These memberships provided access to the walking track, fitness center and basketball gym.

A VIP membership option was later introduced, offering group fitness and Kids Corner services as add-ons for an additional monthly fee. The PCC’s day pass pricing — $6 for track/gym access and $12 for full fitness access — also did not increase during that time.

The proposed fee structure reflects the evolving role of the center in the community, the expansion of services and the rising cost of operations, according to officials.

Key changes include:

• An increase in base membership pricing for residents and nonresidents to reflect the expanded offerings and operational demands of the facility.

• A new, simplified day pass fee of $10 for all users, providing access to the track, gym and full fitness amenities.

• Elimination of the VIP tier. Group fitness classes, a major driver of member engagement, now will be included in all base memberships, while Kids Corner Services will be charged per visit as a program/service not included in the membership.

Along with the rate changes, there will be a new membership commitment model: All monthly memberships will require a 12-month initial term, with the option to cancel at any time thereafter with 15 days’ notice.

“This aligns with industry standards, offers more flexibility from our year-to-year model and helps us better model our membership numbers,” said Tyler Walker, director of parks and recreation in Pine.

A track membership for residents will be $40 per year for residents and $70 for nonresidents; this membership includes access to the track only.

For residents, membership for teens 13 to 18, college students and seniors 65 and older will be $32 per month or $126 for three months. For nonresidents in those categories, the cost will be $44 per month or $162 for three months.

Family memberships for residents will cost $65 per month or $240 for three months; for nonresidents, it will be $85 per month or $300 for three months.

“We still feel like it’s a great value for a membership,” said Kevin Bacon, manager of the Pine Community Center.

The proposed rate changes will go into effect Oct. 1.

“Based on current membership and usage trends, we anticipate a 6.9% increase in annual revenue, reaching approximately $480,000 in 2026. This increase will allow us to invest further in member services, facilities and staffing while still offering excellent value,” Walker said.

Pine supervisors voted to approve the changes to the fee structure during their meeting Aug. 18.

“I really love Parks and Rec’s approach to this because they worked on making an inclusive rate structure rather than a large rate increase,” said township Manager Jason Kratsas.

Maria Sosso is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

Categories: Local | Pine Creek Journal
Content you may have missed