Last week, the Cooper Fitness Center announced its $6.5 million renovation and held a demolition ceremony with local celebs, including Dr. Kenneth Cooper and son Dr. Tyler Cooper, Roger Staubach and Randy Gier.

The Cooper Center, which originally opened in 1972, will be expanded to 54,000 square feet with a new main entrance, cycle studio, two mind/body studios for yoga and Pilates, locker rooms and a retail boutique.

The project is expected to be complete by March 2013 and also will include a new restaurant Cedars Woodfire Grill, a fast-casual concept that promotes healthy food choices. It will serve grilled meats, salads sandwiches and soups.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper was the first to introduce the concept of aerobics and has achieve worldwide success for public health. Look for a profile on Dr. Cooper in our upcoming July issue, which features stories on our neighborhood’s local legends.