Crunch Gym is on its way to opening following a long battle with city

Crunch Gym is on its way to opening following a long battle with city

In what’s considered symbolic of the type of business Norwood looks to draw on Webster Avenue, Crunch Gym is on its way to opening following a yes vote from Community Board 7’s Housing Committee.

The snowstorm on Jan. 21 impeded the full board to vote on approving a Letter of Support to owners of the exercise chain.  As of press time, that full general board meeting was postponed to Jan. 28. But the Housing Committee voted in favor of the plans during its Jan. 15 gathering, with zoning attorney Michael Nacmias offering a presentation.

Members pored over details of the gym, which will boast a large workout area, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a tanning room. Overall, Crunch officials are expected to draw 4,000 to 6,000 members annually, taking advantage of some other amenities, including on-site parking. Roughly 750 members are expected to visit the gym daily, which could perhaps improve the overall health makeup of the neighborhood. As it stands, Norwood is relatively dry from an exercise gym, an area whose health profile includes high rates of diabetes and obesity, according to the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long promoted exercise, recommending 20 minutes of rigorous exercise three times a week or 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week.

Speculation had indeed run rampant on whether Crunch would move into a building at 3170 Webster Ave., a relatively new glass building already housing the Bronx Community Charter School on the second floor. The corridor has been attracting businesses since the city moved to rezone some 80 blocks along the corridor, drawing franchisee Assaf Gal to set up shop. Gal, an exercise enthusiast, has opened several Crunch gyms before, according to his LinkedIn page. He was unavailable for comment.

The housing committee’s blessing is, of course, a simple ring of endorsement since Crunch owners, though, are still required to apply for a special permit through the city’s Board of Standards and Appeal since the gym is considered a Physical Cultural Establishment. Nacmias is hashing out details with the regulatory panel and is expected to receive a decision soon.

But well before Crunch officials pitched their plan and were approved by the board, promotional materials circulated around the neighborhood, with some rate cards peddling a $9.95 yearly charge. Crunch’s official website also lists the Webster Avenue location, supporting Crunch’s presumption that the chain will be approved by the BSA.

“They’ve been advertising for three or four months,” said Sheila Sanchez, a community activist who attended the committee meeting.

With Crunch expected to open in the coming months, the gym could pose a problem for already established exercise chains in the Bronx, including Planet Fitness, which has eight gyms throughout the borough, outnumbering Crunch, which will open its first Bronx location in Norwood. Indeed, exercise gyms have been popping up dramatically throughout the city, forcing owners to lower their prices.

Crunch has also represented the type of business neighbors would want to see along the Webster Avenue strip, rezoned to lure more businesses. The building at 3170 Webster Ave. still has space for a business on the first floor, with residents expecting a supermarket on the premises. But speculation is swirling that a medical facility will open.

If all goes well, Norwoodians can expect Crunch to open by spring.