Here are a couple of pics of the new LABC.. ..okay, as promised for those of you waiting to see how the new facility looks like, here they are. Just the exterior shots. I tried to sneak in through the blue construction barrier to take more detailed pics, but wasn't able to manage. Sorry, I was afraid there are probably security cameras placed inside the property and they might have caught me....so, decided to stay & take the pics from afar... The front portion of the facility (street view) will be used for commercial usage (shops/retail and maybe restaurant). Entrance to club is most likely from the side (not street view). As for when it'll open? Looks like next yr is the more realistic date for the Grand Opening (how many yrs they've delayed it??)..
Notice the slight change.. ..if you guys go the website (1st page of this thread) and click on the Floor Plan and Elevations links (under Club Features), you guys'll notice they've altered the building design, esp. the front (street) elevation and seems like they are not building the L (west portion) of the facility. The main badminton hall/gym was built using tilt-up concrete construction.
the website now says it will be commencing Jan 2010. anyone got more information? or more spy photos? should be very close to completion by now.
^^It should be..^^ ..*sigh*..can you imagine the start date of this thread???..it's already 5.5 yrs, 6 pages in, and all we've got are those pics.. Anyway, will try to swing by and do another drive-by-"shooting"..
According to the World Journal's ad they posted, it will be open for public viewing on Feb 6 & 7, 2010 from 3PM to 6PM. Membership application will be accepted on those days too. BTW, can anyne tell me how to paste/insert images/pictures in my message post? Can't seem to find the options to do that. Thanks.
^^Yes..^^ ..i know..We've all referred to their initial announcement that they gym will be opened sometimes in 2005?? Yes, 2005 (see posts on 1st page of this thread). Weve waited and waited and here we are... *yuqiu, when you go to Post Reply, you should see Manage Attachment button under Additional Options area. Click on that and you can attach your file (please note the max. size allowed).
Basically it will be open for public viewing on Feb 6 & 7, 2010 from 3PM to 6PM. Membership application will be accepted on those days too. The early you join the more you save. First 50 signup, $25/month, no membership cost and free Yonex polo shirt. 50% off Yonex shoe sale and get free Yonex polo shirt. Membership accepted starting 2PM on Saturday and Sunday. To much to list, just be there for the party.
i just bought my yonex shoes 3 weeks ago .... if i knew you guys would be having a 50% sale i would have waited .... anyway ..... when can we actually play in the new gym?
..from what i gathered, the courts will be ready for play in a couple weeks (since the Yonex mats are still not installed).
It's finally here, the Grand Opening.. ..finally stepped into the brand new LABC facility. My initial and last impression: truly a reflection of a lot of hard work, planning, dedication and love of the sport. A very nice & tempting place to play, indeed. I can imagine the same feeling, of a brand new badminton hall, when OCBC first opened abt 15 yrs ago. * I was told, many young folks stayed overnight, the night prior to the grand opening, just to be one of the very few to sign up and get the special promotion. I chatted briefly with the owner and another friend who oversaw the project. Simply put, the owner really shows his true love for the sport by putting the best available resources he could get (even to the tiny details) and by providing the best badminton facility out there. He admitted, he doesn't expect much in return, but he's doing this so the people who play really get to enjoy the experience & leave with the most pleasant impression. A few minor corrections on what i posted earlier (in another thread): - Total sq. footage of playing area : 23,000 sq. ft. - 2nd & 3rd floors : 2,500 sq. ft. each - Ceiling height, floor to finish ceiling: 50 ft. To the joist: 40 ft. - Fully Air Conditioned and with Heating system. - Total construction cost: close to $10 mil. (7 yrs to complete). - Seating area: 3000 people (more than OCBC). Will be installed in a few months. - They will have 15 courts for regular club play. But will use another 6 sets of courts when there are special tournaments. Each Yonex court costs about $10,000 each. They will have full Yonex mat coverage throughout the entire playing floor. - There will be card (swipe) machines for queueing system, both next to the playing area as well as in the entrance area. LABC will be the 1st one to use such queue system in SoCal. Btw, for those wondering about why they haven't updated the website, one of the front desk personnel told me that the official page is actually on facebook.com. So, all pertinent updates/news would be updated there: http://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Monte-CA/Los-Angeles-Badminton-Club-LABC/265747717668?v=wall Here are some exterior pics, i took earlier: Front of the building Looking West Looking at the entrance Looking West (at the future commercial spaces) and parking area
A few more interior pictures.. ..okay, here are more. Looking from the southwest corner of the building Looking down from the 2nd floor. HVAC system is similar to OCBC with the air flow being blown from the side.: Typical 2nd (w/green stripe) & 3rd Floor plan (w/red stripe). 2nd floor usage is still pending (for now, ping-pong will fill the space). The 3rd floor will be used for yoga & dance classes: Elevator: Stadium lighting fixtures which will be used, supposedly, during tournaments (i thought they were quite blinding when turned on) Entrance/reception area & future merchandise area/shop/stringing service area: Just to show the thickness of the wood floor in comparison to the concrete floor. I'd say there's a good 3-4 inches from concrete to top of wood. And i can imagine, if one jumps on another court, one could hear and feel the reverberation. The wood-flooring system, showing the thickness and rubber padding at the bottom. Looking at the lounge area (west and east). Future space for vending machines and other amenities. Doors on the side lead to the future commercial spaces. Yes, i'm sure you guys are wondering about how the restroom and shower areas look like. Looking up at the 2nd & 3rd floors Speakers and sound system Looking east (angled walls) Those spot/stadium-like lights are really blinding (pics might not be too obvious) Anyway, those are the pics. Hopefully they'll give you guys some ideas on the facility and will tempt you guys to come & play. Will try to update some pics once the Yonex floor mats are fully installed.
^^Right now..^^ ..if one were to ask me my frankest of opinions of which SoCal baddy club is the top of the class (facility-wise), i'd have to say LABC; the place is very2 spacious, could probably fit a Boeing 787 Dreamliner..of course, that's before actually visiting the new SGVBC 2..
