Rucker Athletics opens in Dolton with pool, after‑school programs and nutrition services

Rucker Athletics opened its doors in Dolton at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, converting a long-condemned building into a community fitness and training center that organizers say will serve youth, seniors and families.

The mayor (name not specified) said the building had been condemned for years and ‘‘cost the village hundreds of thousands of dollars’’ while vacant, and praised the public–private partnership for reopening a pool and creating programming for seniors, youth and the wider community: ‘‘It’s a benefit to the community financially as well as programmatic,’’ the mayor said.

Owners and operators described the center as more than a conventional gym. ‘‘We’re not a gym. We’re [a] fitness and training center,’’ an owner said, explaining the facility will…