The former Rite Aid location in State College’s Westerly Parkway Plaza won’t be staying empty for long.
National fitness center chain Crunch Fitness is planning to open a gym in the 36,000-square-foot space at 510 Westerly Parkway, according to the company’s website and social media accounts for the location.
The company is investing $5 million in renovating and fitting out the former longtime pharmacy location for a “brand new, state-of-the-art… fitness center,” according to a Facebook post.
Crunch Fitness – State College will feature cardio machines, free weights and nautilus, along with a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) area, more than 50 group fitness classes and personal training.
It will also feature hydromassage, UV tanning, dry saunas in each locker room and on-site babysitting.
The gym will be open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Members are permitted to bring a guest for free every visit.
Crunch Fitness is aiming for a late summer or early fall opening and expects to employ up to 100 people, a spokesperson told StateCollege.com.
Membership presale dates will be announced soon, and the first 500 founding members to join will get $1 enrollment, memberships as low as $9.99 a month and a free T-shirt and gym bag, according to a Facebook post.
The location is also running a Facebook promotion for a chance to win free membership for a year.
With a motto of “No Judgments,” Crunch Fitness started in 1989 with one small gym in New York City and has grown to more than 400 locations nationwide.
Crunch Fitness will join Weis Markets, NovaCare Rehabilitation, Domino’s Pizza and the recently opened Comic Cove in the Westerly Parkway Plaza.
The Rite Aid store previously located at the the fitness center’s new home closed in December and is among hundreds nationwide shuttered by the pharmacy chain amid bankruptcy restructuring. Two other Centre County Rite Aids also closed, and the company’s last remaining location in the area at 1536 N. Atherton St. is slated to close soon.
