Saunas, training and smoothies: Peoria gym plans to build new $3.5 million facility
Titan Fitness and the city of Peoria entered a redevelopment agreement that will see the gym construct a new $3.5 million facility.
The proposed development includes 30,000-square-foot, 24-hour access facility with infrared saunas, a smoothie bar, private training room and a child care area double the size of its current space.
The facility will be built near the intersection of Townline Road and West Grand Parkway behind the Walmart on Allen Road. Titan Fitness purchased the land for $525,000.
The gym's current location is at 7620 N. University Drive.
Owner Chris Cupi said he was attracted to that area given the success of the business corridor along Route 6 and residential growth in North Peoria and Dunlap.
"It's just a way bigger market, I think, so moving farther north made total sense to me because of the opportunity there and the people there who need a place to go work out," Cupi said.
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The Allen Road lot also stood out because it allowed for new construction. Cupi said he explored moving into an existing building but said he could not find any that fit what he was looking to do with his new space.
"There's not a lot of empty real estate. There's a lot of empty buildings, but none of them fit my design, the size I wanted or the layout we wanted," Cupi said. "Locker rooms are a big deal — we've got full locker rooms, saunas — so the buildings we looked at, nothing worked."
Cupi said the new building will give the gym a much-needed upgrade in space. He said his gym has doubled its memberships in the past three years and added space is a necessity.
"It's quite a bit larger — we've basically outgrown where we're at," Cupi said.
All of the things Titan Fitness currently offers, such as functional training, boxing classes and an array of equipment focused on strength training, will still be offered at the new facility.
"We're not going to lose anything that makes us unique," Cupi said.
The agreement between Titan Fitness and the city includes a 50% reimbursement on property taxes over the course of the Medina Plains-Allen Road TIF district, which runs until 2047.
The development is expected to generate $1.7 million in property tax increment, 22.5% of which will go to the Dunlap School District.
Construction of the new gym is anticipated to begin in early 2024 and will take 21 months.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria gym building a new $3.5 million, 24-hour facility
