Gold’s Gym location seeks to expand…19,559-square-foot addition

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Posted May 21, 2013 1:14 pm by

Gold’s Gym location seeks to expandAiming to re-invent the athletic facility, the owner of Gold’s Gym gained township Planning Board approval last week for a two-story, 19,559-square-foot addition to the building at 4152 Quakerbridge Road.
Applicant McNeill Properties V, LLC sought the board’s approval at its May 6 meeting to expand the existing two-story building from 66,560 square feet to 86,119 square feet. The corporation owns the building, which is set on a seven-acre parcel.
The addition will contain a gymnasium for basketball, gymnastics and cheerleading. The second floor — part of which will be open to the gymnasium below — will be set up for a running track, a stretching station and cardio machines.
Attorney Jeffrey Hall, who represented the applicant, told the Planning Board that “patterns are changing in the gym industry.” The addition is needed to provide a gym, a running track, and rooms for programs and other health-related uses, he said.
Edward McNeill Jr., who is a principal in McNeill Properties V, said Gold’s Gym has provided a full-service gym since it opened in 2004. But in the last few years, eight health clubs have opened in the area, and the expansion is intended to differentiate Gold’s Gym from its competitors, he said.

   While Gold’s Gym has focused on adult fitness activities, the plan now is to include programming and facilities for the entire family, including adolescents — along with a new name, Mr. McNeill said. Gold’s Gym will be known as the New Jersey Athletic Club when the addition is completed.
”We are moving to become a family, full-service club,” Mr. McNeill said. Non-member groups may rent the facility for short periods of time, he said, adding the plan is to continue renting out space to groups such as the Rider University basketball team.
Donald Foy, the chief executive officer for McNeill Properties V, agreed that the business model for health clubs and gyms is changing. There is a “glaring need” to provide programming for families, he said.
That family friendly programming will likely include children’s programs, as well as gymnastics, dance, martial arts and a basketball league, Mr. Foy said. There might be family nutrition classes, as well as classes on how to keep healthy and exercise as a family.
Upon completion, the New Jersey Athletic Club will employ about 200 people — 18 will be full-time employees, and the rest will be part-time workers, Mr. Foy said. The full-time employees will mostly be fitness trainers. At most, there would be 28 or 29 employees on site at any time, he said.
Mr. Foy assured the Planning Board there is adequate parking to include the expansion. The township’s Land Use Ordinance requires 431 parking spaces, but the applicant proposes to provide 354 parking spaces. Existing parking consists of 345 spaces.
Traffic engineer Charles Olivo told the Planning Board the maximum parking occupancy occurred from 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. when he visited the site in December. During that time period, 236 of the existing 345 spaces were occupied, he said.
Even with the expansion and addition of nine parking spaces, there will be enough parking, Mr. Olivo said. There would be about 306 cars parked during the 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. time period, he said.
And although gym users may have to park farther away from the building during peak hours, it should not present a problem for the members, Mr. Olivo said. They should expect to park farther away.
”You are, after all, at a health club,” he said.Aiming to re-invent the athletic facility, the owner of Gold’s Gym gained township Planning Board approval last week for a two-story, 19,559-square-foot addition to the building at 4152 Quakerbridge Road.
Applicant McNeill Properties V, LLC sought the board’s approval at its May 6 meeting to expand the existing two-story building from 66,560 square feet to 86,119 square feet. The corporation owns the building, which is set on a seven-acre parcel.
The addition will contain a gymnasium for basketball, gymnastics and cheerleading. The second floor — part of which will be open to the gymnasium below — will be set up for a running track, a stretching station and cardio machines.
Attorney Jeffrey Hall, who represented the applicant, told the Planning Board that “patterns are changing in the gym industry.” The addition is needed to provide a gym, a running track, and rooms for programs and other health-related uses, he said.
Edward McNeill Jr., who is a principal in McNeill Properties V, said Gold’s Gym has provided a full-service gym since it opened in 2004. But in the last few years, eight health clubs have opened in the area, and the expansion is intended to differentiate Gold’s Gym from its competitors, he said.

   While Gold’s Gym has focused on adult fitness activities, the plan now is to include programming and facilities for the entire family, including adolescents — along with a new name, Mr. McNeill said. Gold’s Gym will be known as the New Jersey Athletic Club when the addition is completed.
”We are moving to become a family, full-service club,” Mr. McNeill said. Non-member groups may rent the facility for short periods of time, he said, adding the plan is to continue renting out space to groups such as the Rider University basketball team.
Donald Foy, the chief executive officer for McNeill Properties V, agreed that the business model for health clubs and gyms is changing. There is a “glaring need” to provide programming for families, he said.
That family friendly programming will likely include children’s programs, as well as gymnastics, dance, martial arts and a basketball league, Mr. Foy said. There might be family nutrition classes, as well as classes on how to keep healthy and exercise as a family.
Upon completion, the New Jersey Athletic Club will employ about 200 people — 18 will be full-time employees, and the rest will be part-time workers, Mr. Foy said. The full-time employees will mostly be fitness trainers. At most, there would be 28 or 29 employees on site at any time, he said.
Mr. Foy assured the Planning Board there is adequate parking to include the expansion. The township’s Land Use Ordinance requires 431 parking spaces, but the applicant proposes to provide 354 parking spaces. Existing parking consists of 345 spaces.
Traffic engineer Charles Olivo told the Planning Board the maximum parking occupancy occurred from 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. when he visited the site in December. During that time period, 236 of the existing 345 spaces were occupied, he said.
Even with the expansion and addition of nine parking spaces, there will be enough parking, Mr. Olivo said. There would be about 306 cars parked during the 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. time period, he said.
And although gym users may have to park farther away from the building during peak hours, it should not present a problem for the members, Mr. Olivo said. They should expect to park farther away.
”You are, after all, at a health club,” he said.Aiming to re-invent the athletic facility, the owner of Gold’s Gym gained township Planning Board approval last week for a two-story, 19,559-square-foot addition to the building at 4152 Quakerbridge Road.
Applicant McNeill Properties V, LLC sought the board’s approval at its May 6 meeting to expand the existing two-story building from 66,560 square feet to 86,119 square feet. The corporation owns the building, which is set on a seven-acre parcel.
The addition will contain a gymnasium for basketball, gymnastics and cheerleading. The second floor — part of which will be open to the gymnasium below — will be set up for a running track, a stretching station and cardio machines.
Attorney Jeffrey Hall, who represented the applicant, told the Planning Board that “patterns are changing in the gym industry.” The addition is needed to provide a gym, a running track, and rooms for programs and other health-related uses, he said.
Edward McNeill Jr., who is a principal in McNeill Properties V, said Gold’s Gym has provided a full-service gym since it opened in 2004. But in the last few years, eight health clubs have opened in the area, and the expansion is intended to differentiate Gold’s Gym from its competitors, he said.

   While Gold’s Gym has focused on adult fitness activities, the plan now is to include programming and facilities for the entire family, including adolescents — along with a new name, Mr. McNeill said. Gold’s Gym will be known as the New Jersey Athletic Club when the addition is completed.
”We are moving to become a family, full-service club,” Mr. McNeill said. Non-member groups may rent the facility for short periods of time, he said, adding the plan is to continue renting out space to groups such as the Rider University basketball team.
Donald Foy, the chief executive officer for McNeill Properties V, agreed that the business model for health clubs and gyms is changing. There is a “glaring need” to provide programming for families, he said.
That family friendly programming will likely include children’s programs, as well as gymnastics, dance, martial arts and a basketball league, Mr. Foy said. There might be family nutrition classes, as well as classes on how to keep healthy and exercise as a family.
Upon completion, the New Jersey Athletic Club will employ about 200 people — 18 will be full-time employees, and the rest will be part-time workers, Mr. Foy said. The full-time employees will mostly be fitness trainers. At most, there would be 28 or 29 employees on site at any time, he said.
Mr. Foy assured the Planning Board there is adequate parking to include the expansion. The township’s Land Use Ordinance requires 431 parking spaces, but the applicant proposes to provide 354 parking spaces. Existing parking consists of 345 spaces.
Traffic engineer Charles Olivo told the Planning Board the maximum parking occupancy occurred from 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. when he visited the site in December. During that time period, 236 of the existing 345 spaces were occupied, he said.
Even with the expansion and addition of nine parking spaces, there will be enough parking, Mr. Olivo said. There would be about 306 cars parked during the 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. time period, he said.
And although gym users may have to park farther away from the building during peak hours, it should not present a problem for the members, Mr. Olivo said. They should expect to park farther away.
”You are, after all, at a health club,” he said.

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