Cooper Aerobics Center: Photo by Kim Leeson

Cooper Aerobics Center: Photo by Kim Leeson

The second phase of the Cooper Aerobics Center’s million-dollar renovation is complete with the unveiling of the Cooper Hotel, Conference and Spa.

Cooper and the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce celebrated last week with a ribbon-cutting, making the new boutique hotel open to the public. The hotel features 61 rooms, 12 suites, eight meeting rooms and an outdoor pool.

Our feature story last summer looked at how the Cooper Center began in our neighborhood and grew into the health and wellness empire it is today. In the beginning, back in 1970, the idea that exercise affected overall health was radical.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper told the Advocate:

“I was the first doctor to perform stress tests in Dallas, so people were skeptical of me at first,” Cooper says. “Some even said that the treadmill testing was going to kill people.”

A prominent neighborhood pastor at the time took the stress test, and Cooper was alarmed by the results.

“I told him that he needed to go to the hospital immediately. He didn’t believe me. Sadly, 10 days later he died from a heart attack. After that people started to take me more seriously.”

With its recent renovations, it’s become more than a world-renowned clinic and research lab. It’s a full-on health resort.