Coeur d'Alene-based Peak Health & Wellness Center has broken ground on a $4.2 million indoor tennis center next to its Hayden facility, says Gary Retter, manager and part owner of the fitness club.

The site for the 44,000-square-foot tennis center is located at the northwest corner of Centa Avenue and Government Way, just east of The Peak's Hayden outlet in the Prairie Shopping Center.

Small's Construction Co., of Rathdrum, is the contractor on the project, and Miller Stauffer Architects PA, of Coeur d'Alene, designed it.

"We're hoping to be finished and open by the end of the year," Retter says.

The tennis center will have five indoor courts with high-performance synthetic surfaces, a viewing area with seating, and men's and women's locker areas with showers, saunas, and steam rooms, he says.

It also will have a 900-square foot, small-group exercise room, cardio equipment for warming up or exercising while watching tennis, and a community conference room, Retter says. Retail amenities will include a pro shop and a juice bar.

The tennis center side of the operation will have 12 employees, including three U.S. Tennis Association-certified professionals. At present, the Hayden facility employs 30 people.

The Peak also operates its original outlet in Coeur d'Alene and another in Post Falls and has a combined total of 100 employees, Retter says.

It currently has two indoor courts at its Coeur d'Alene facility.

"We have a real demand for more indoor tennis courts," Retter says. "We didn't have more space in Coeur d'Alene, so we're moving tennis to the Hayden facility."

Once the Hayden tennis center is complete, The Peak will convert the Coeur d'Alene tennis courts into other exercise and fitness areas, he says.

The tennis center is designed to allow for future expansion, Retter says. "Phase two will be an aquatics area with a warm-water pool and a regular lap pool," he says. "We have a small pool at Coeur d'Alene, and I think there is a need for a pool in Hayden."

The Peak's overall membership has grown 10 percent a year over the last couple of years, Retter says.

Retter and partners Jack Tawney, Chip Althen, and Jim Doty have been doing business as DART Club Management LLC for 32 years since starting up the Coeur d'Alene center, originally the Ironwood Athletic Club.

The 15-year-old Hayden facility and the 10-year-old Post Falls center originally operated under the World Gym name. All facilities were renamed Peak Health & Fitness Center four years ago, and the company also brands itself as The Peak.