Gold’s Gym to become Family Y center

When Chris and Margy Agnew bought a Gold’s Gym a decade ago, their mission was to create the premier adult fitness center in the Quad-Cities.

Through the years, the couple wanted the business to help change lives and give back to the community.

“We literally have hundreds of stories of changed lives,” Chris Agnew said. “We’ve had several 100-pound losers and people who couldn’t even climb the stairs to the cardio balcony who are now running in the Bix race.”

After 10 years, the Agnews have decided it’s time for a new chapter in their lives.

Gold’s Gym, 4885 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport, will officially close Oct. 31 and will open as a new branch of the Scott County Family Y on Nov. 8.

Y staff will be at Gold’s on Monday to talk with and answer questions from the approximately 2,200 members.

The couple will donate all of the operating equipment, including exercise machines, computers and televisions, to the new Y.

Chris Agnew said he thinks the Y’s mission and Gold’s mission are one and the same.

“We thought this was a great fit and would turn this into maybe the crown jewel of the Y’s great franchise in Scott County,” he said.

Family Y CEO Brad Martel said the new branch will further the Y’s mission of helping more people live healthier lives.

Martel said the plan is to retain as much of the Gold’s Gym staff as possible.

“We would love to keep all of them that wish to become employees,” he said.

Martel said the Y will waive the joiner fee for Gold’s members.

When asked whether the Y will buy or lease the building, Martel said that a final contract has not been completed.

The 28,000-square foot-gym was built in 2001 and was taken over by the Agnews in 2003.

The facility has a smoothie bar, a women’s-only studio, group exercise rooms, a yoga/pilates room, cardio balcony and a cardio cinema, where members can work out while watching a movie on a movie theater-like screen.

Chris Agnew said he and his wife also donated space to the American Red Cross of the Quad-Cities Area. The Red Cross will remain in the building.

Martel said the new branch will be a little different from the other branches in that it will not have a traditional gym or swimming pool. Gold’s members who opt to sign up for the Y will have the option of using the other facilities, however.

The new branch will have the fitness center and group classes and training, Martel said.

Martel said the Y may look into adding preschool services or other activities in the future.

Martel said he didn’t anticipate there will be much work needed at the building. Signs with the YMCA name and logo will be added, and there may be some new paint and carpets, he said.

At some point, the Y may renovate the locker rooms, he said.

Like all branches, the new Y center will offer financial assistance scholarships to help low-income families gain membership, Martel said.

Chris Agnew, a financial adviser at Morgan Stanley, said he and his wife reached out to the Y two or three months ago about taking over the gym.

He said that although it’s not easy to close the gym, he thought it was “the right thing to do.”

“This is a tremendous hand-off for the Y and for the community,” he said. “Anytime there’s a change like that, you have mixed emotions. But overall, I think it’s a great thing to do and a great time to do it.”

He added that Gold’s members who decide to join the Y will have access to some other services and other branches, such as a pool and basketball court.

The Agnews plan to get a Y membership and continue with their fitness regimen, Chris Agnew said.

Now that they have a little extra time to themselves, they also plan to spend more time with their seven grandchildren, Chris Agnew said.