SYRACUSE — A fitness club in downtown Syracuse has expanded with an eye toward the continued development in the area. Metro Fitness Club, formerly Personal Fitness, got its start in 1995 as a boutique personal-training studio. The club has since grown to a full-service executive health club. The latest expansion, which began in September, added […]
SYRACUSE — A fitness club in downtown Syracuse has expanded with an eye toward the continued development in the area.
Metro Fitness Club, formerly Personal Fitness, got its start in 1995 as a boutique personal-training studio. The club has since grown to a full-service executive health club.
The latest expansion, which began in September, added 2,000 square feet to the club’s 10,000-square-foot space at Salina Place. The gym took over space that was previously occupied by the Ida Benderson Senior Center.
Metro Fitness doubled the size of its group fitness studio to 1,800 square feet. The space can now hold larger classes. The club also added a system that allows members to select video of different classes from a kiosk.
The video is then projected onto a screen inside the group studio. The studio can be divided in half when that system is in use so part of it remains open for other members.
Randy Sabourin, Metro Fitness’ owner, says the club’s younger clients have been looking for more classes and group-training offerings. It’s a trend he expects will continue with the ongoing development of new housing downtown, including the Pike Block and Merchant Commons projects.
Along with the traditional lineup of fitness classes, Metro Fitness added a program for children on Saturday mornings. Clients, Sabourin says, can now bring their children to the club for the program and get their own workout in at the same time.
The new space Metro Fitness took over also allowed for expansion of the general area of the club and new space dedicated to Pilates reformer training, Sabourin says.
In addition to the physical expansion, the club also invested in design. Sabourin says a local artist painted murals in some of the facility’s space and the renovation left some exposed brick in place to preserve its urban feel.
The club also improved its locker-room facilities and rebuilt its steam rooms as part of the renovation, Sabourin says.
Metro Fitness made an investment in a variety of new equipment as well, he adds. The entire expansion cost about $250,000 with some funding coming from Metro Fitness’ landlord, some coming from the club itself, and financing from M&T Bank.
The club recently re-signed a 10-year extension of its lease, Sabourin says. The gym is also working with the nearby Pike Block project and expects to offer special deals to residents.
Pike Block is located at the corner of Salina and Fayette streets and involves the rehabilitation of several buildings into residential and commercial space.
Metro Fitness currently has about 500 members. Much of its business comes from its continued personal-training business, Sabourin says. At the downtown club alone, he says trainers run 250 to 300 sessions a week.
The club also has a location at the CNY Medical Center near the Syracuse University campus. Metro Fitness employs about 20 people. Sabourin is the sole owner.
The latest expansion is the club’s third after it took on additional space at Salina Place in the 1990s, Sabourin says. Although the business began with an exclusive focus on personal training, members began asking if they could come in and use its facilities independently as well.
That’s when Sabourin says the club began adding more amenities and expanding its membership offerings.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com
