SL Fitness was the first to collapse back in October, being forced to tell the 300 students and staff who used the centre that the gym on Fuglesangs Allé was closing down.

The centre was forced to shut because of fire regulations: the senior management team told SL Fitness to install an emergency exit if they wanted to go on using the premises as a fitness centre.

“We were given an estimate that the work would cost about DKK 300,000; but we weren’t able or willing to invest that kind of money in improving a building that we didn’t own. And AU weren’t prepared to pay for it,” explains Kristian Deleuran, the managing director of Studenterlauget.

Instead, Studenterlauget suggested moving to other premises on campus. But this idea was turned down because people at BSS weren’t too keen on having a noisy fitness centre as their neighbour. So that was the end of it.

“We were only interested in premises on campus because that’s what makes us different from all the other fitness centres in town. People could pop into our gym when it suited them in their breaks,” explains Deleuran.

A good idea

In January the fitness centre run by the AU Sports Club (AUS) in Trøjborg, which is used by 400 students, was also dealt a knock-out blow by the management.

AUS has been looking for new, better premises for years. In 2011 they joined forces with Studenterlauget to explore opportunities for setting up a joint fitness centre, applying to the senior management team for financial support for the project and (not least) the same terms and conditions as Studenterlauget until they could move into new premises. This was because Studenterlauget had access to free premises on Fuglesangs Allé, whereas AUS had to pay rent for their premises in Trøjborg.

The management offered them premises via the Aarhus University Research Foundation’s Property Company (FEAS), which rents out buildings to Aarhus University.

“FEAS wanted us to rent premises in Katrinebjerg because they also liked the idea of attracting a bit of after-study activity to that area of campus,” explains Daniel Rosengren Pilgaard, who is responsible for running the AUS Fitness Centre.

But the premises weren’t available for the next two years, and in the intervening period Studenterlauget backed out of the project.

AUS continued with the plans, but takeover of the new location was delayed. It was discovered that a group of students used the premises above the new fitness centre, and that they would have to be moved because of the noise generated by the fitness centre beneath. So the university demanded that AUS should take over these premises as well. In order to finance this project, AUS persuaded three other member clubs to join forces in setting up a big sports complex in Katrinebjerg, and then the plans were presented to the senior management team.

“At the first meeting with the university director, our projections about the profitability of the project were challenged. But we found the evidence we needed, and presented our ideas again at a second meeting with the director. AU accepted that the project was realistic and based on sound, reliable financial predictions. However, owing to the current financial situation AU suddenly announced that they could give the project nothing but moral support,” explains Pilgaard.

The cupboard was bare

This was something of a setback for AUS, who had been expecting AU to provide financial security during the interim period ever since the first meeting in 2011.

“We also expected to get financial support to open the centre based on our application from 2011,” says Pilgaard.

However, shelving the plans for a new fitness centre wasn’t the only problem facing AUS. AUS had been forced to pay rent for the Trøjborg premises throughout the long period of negotiation, and this had drained their equity capital so much that they couldn’t pay rent any longer. Their cupboard was bare.

“We told the management, and they said that the question of rent exemption would also be dealt with in connection with the final decision about financing the fitness centre,” explains Pilgaard.

The decision was made soon afterwards, and was influenced by AU’s financial situation. The senior management team were no longer particularly interested in allowing rent reductions or investing in a new fitness centre. Instead, AUS were told to pay back the outstanding rent.

“We received a letter from Jørgen Jørgensen, the university director, asking us to pay rent for the last five quarters. Otherwise our lease would be terminated. But we couldn’t afford it, so in January we told all our members that we would unfortunately have to close the centre down,” says Pilgaard.

Final appeal

Just before AUS shut up shop completely, they decided to appeal to the university director one last time, asking that the situation should be reconsidered.

“We don’t understand the process involved here, and we feel we’ve been let down.” The only logical explanation is that it’s bad timing because AU is making cuts,” says Pilgaard.

“But we’re surprised to learn that the senior management team can’t see the value of having a fitness centre on campus. In our view they’re getting their priorities wrong. A fitness centre is a social meeting place that promotes good health and sobriety – unlike all the Friday bars that are held on campus. We also think that a fitness centre is a good way to improve our recruitment potential: lots of the major universities with which we normally compare ourselves have big sports facilities on campus.” 

When Omnibus went to press AUS was still negotiating with the senior management team, who have agreed to reconsider the case with a view to finding a possible solution. But if this doesn’t happen, the centre will have to close down, says Pilgaard.

The management did not wish to comment on the issue until a final decision had been made.

Training at AU

Aarhus Campus:

• BSS Sport: Handball, football and volleyball.

• Aarhus University Sport: Angling, badminton, basketball, bridge, chess, fencing, floorball, football, gymnastics, handball, hunting, rowing, shooting, swimming, traditional Japanese martial arts, ultimate sports, volleyball, water polo, and (for a while at least): fitness.
• Aarhus University Fitness Centre: Training for AU staff.

Emdrup:

• Students at Emdrup Campus can get a discount at the Fitness World chain.

Herning:

• Members of the Studenterhus at Birk Campus can use the Studenterhus fitness centre.

Translated by Nicholas Wrigley