BERLIN–A new Berlin facility aims to provide both children and adults with the latest ways to stay active.
After years of planning, the Berlin Activities Depot opened on Old Ocean City Boulevard this month. The 30,000-square-foot facility offers gymnastics, adult fitness programs, a rock climbing wall and laser tag, among other activities. The building also houses Berlin Education Station, which provides childcare for children six weeks old and up.
“We have something for everyone,” owner Carmella Solito said. “We’re trying to promote healthy living.”
Solito, who previously operated Twisters Gymnastics and Carmella’s Kids on Route 113, first announced plans to build the Berlin Activities Depot in 2011. After several years of arranging financing and fine-tuning plans, construction began in 2015 and was completed this spring.
Solito said seeing the facility finally come to fruition was like a dream.
“Everybody has really put in the extra effort to make the vision come alive,” she said. “I couldn’t do it alone.”
In early June, Solito moved her gymnastics team and her childcare program into the new building. She’ll begin accepting new clients June 19.
“We’re hoping for community support,” Solito said.
The Berlin Activities Depot is divided into two sections. Visitors entering through one set of doors have easy access to a gift shop, adult fitness room and the expansive gym. Miami native Erika Cardoso oversees the gym, which is home to the various Twisters gymnastics programs.
“We have coaches coming in from around the world,” Cardoso said.
She expects the gymnastics program, which already has about 100 participants, to grow now that it’s in a state-of-the-art gym. Participants have access to three pits, three trampolines, more than 10 beams and more than four uneven bars as well as parallel bars and Olympic height ring bars. The various pits and mats make the facility ideal for young gymnasts.
“They can learn the skills without getting hurt,” Cardoso said.
For adults, the Berlin Activities Depot offers fitness equipment as well as a number of classes such as kickboxing and Zumba, among others.
To accommodate fans of American Ninja Warrior, Berlin Activities Depot also features a ninja course.
Along with the array of physical fitness equipment at Berlin Activities Depot, Solito is proud of the technology available within the building. In addition to working to become a paperless facility, Berlin Activities Depot features coded entryways. Patrons also have access to the latest in tech devices. Kids intent on gaming can use the BEAM projector to literally step into their video games. A projection screen, pointed at the floor, is paired with motion sensors so players physically move across the floor as they play a variety of video games.
“It gets them moving while they’re gaming,” Solito said. “It helps with hand-eye coordination. We have games for 2-year-olds up to adults.”
While the gym and fitness facilities occupy the portion of the building closest to Old Ocean City Boulevard, the Berlin Education Station occupies the back half of the building. There, Solito offers a variety of childcare and pre-kindergarten programs. Though 80 children are currently enrolled, Solito now has space to take as many as 150.
She says she’s made an effort to design a facility that’s ideal for allowing young children to learn and grow. Classrooms feature the latest in educational tools and even the bathrooms were configured with youngsters in mind, as toilets are low to the ground and toddler-sized.
“We’re trying to give kids an early start,” Solito said.
