HOPE — A space created to house a pair of retired circus elephants is realizing a renaissance at the hands of Rockport couple Jonas and Stacey Contakos. They will hold a grand opening celebration for HopeAir, a gymnastics and movement facility in the transformed barn that formerly housed Hope Elephants on Saturday, September 2.

Jonas and Stacey are both expert gymnasts, and operate gymnastics programs at three area YMCAs, and they did not have devices on opening a fourth facility, Jonas Contakos said. After a series of talks with family friend Carrie Laurita, the widow of the late Jim Laurita, D.V.M. and founder of Hope Elephants, the idea to open HopeAir materialized and construction began in January.

"It was an idea that came to us after the space had been vacant,” said Jonas. “We wanted to do something in the spirit of Hope Elephants: education based and community based.”

He added that Carrie, who also has a background in gymnastics, will be one of the approximately eight coaches that will work at HopeAir.

HopeAir will offer a variety of equipment including three trampolines, a zipline, Ninja Warrior walls for kids and adults, and — notably — a Tumbl Trak. The 40-foot Tumbl Trak is one of just a handful in the state, Contakos said.

He envisions the space yielding to the desires and needs of the community, but initially classes and supervised open gyms will be offered.

Additionally, a month "parents' night out" will allow parents to drop their children at HopeAir for several hours of supervised play, pizza from the neighboring Hope General Store, and a movie that will be screened on a large projector screen that is suspended from the ceiling, flush with the aft wall of the building.

HopeAir will also offer birthday parties, and blocks of time will be set aside for those events.

Jonas said seminars and special programs will be offered with movement experts of all kinds, both locals and those visiting from afar.

"I don't know [exactly what the vision will be], but it's an intentional 'I don't know'. We want to evolve with what's happening and meet community needs and interests," Jonas said.

An entry that houses restrooms and will house cubbies — the build was underway on Wednesday, August 30— will also house a bank of computers where participants will sign in and pay. Monthly memberships, individual gym times and classes will all be on the menu of participation offerings. A stairway leads to the gym space, with it's suspended floor and lofty ceilings, and Jonas said that anyone who enters the space will be required to undergo a mandatory orientation that takes about 20 minutes.

"Everyone who enters the gym will go through a training. They can then participate in open gyms and classes," he said.

Even those who wish to spectate will need to complete the training, which Jonas said is interactive.

The all-ages facility will be an entirely paperless facility; this means no cash will change hands and visitors can opt to keep a payment method on file for future visits. An app will allow users to view the number of people using the gym space at a given time, as well as explore offerings and perform logistical functions, such as signups and payments.

Jonas said that he is working with a circus school on "making HopeAir their home," he said he should know whether that partnership will come to fruition within the first week of HopeAir's operations.

Stacey and Jonas Contakos are already discussing partnerships and ways that HopeAir can assist or augment existing entities in the community. Even their hours, he said, are designed to compliment the hours at the nearby Camden Snow Bowl, allowing skiers to enjoy the mountain and the specialized gym — even on the same day.

Student-painted murals that once graced the walls of Hope Elephants will provide the backdrop for the peg board, further honoring Jim Laurita's original vision.

"The biggest challenge was changing the use of the space, but still honoring Jim's original intent in a way that is feasible with our backgrounds," Jonas said.

Even the HopeAir logo contains an elephant, and additional artistic messaging that speaks to the Midcoast region's character and outdoor offerings.

"We had this vision of the elephant and a trampoline, the idea is that anyone can learn to be airborne in this space, even an elephant," said Jonas.

He and some of his longtime staff completed almost the entire renovation themselves, further adding to the labor of love that occupies that special barn in Hope Center.

"There are a lot of kids in the community that are really skilled movers, but aren't [participating in a sport]. HopeAir will be another space where hopefully these kids can find a home," he said.

The grand opening of HopeAir is this Saturday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 49 Hatchet Mountain Road in Hope. Programs will begin the following week, and schedules will be available at the grand opening. Free equipment orientation sessions will take place on the hour during the grand opening only, the orientation sessions will be available at a fee once the facility opens.