Gold’s Gym, situated off Hendersonville Road in South Asheville, is set to cease operations on December 15, as communicated via email to its members. The closure is attributed to the “changing needs of the area,” with plans for renovations and updates to the existing Patton Avenue and Oakley Plaza locations.
Members of the gym were apprised of the impending closure through an email, a copy of which was obtained by the Citizen Times from Gold’s Gym member Benjamin Dockery.
The email outlined the forthcoming enhancements at the remaining locations, promising “new amenities,” updated equipment, and an overall refreshed ambiance as part of the renovations.
Current members at the Hendersonville Road branch will see their memberships seamlessly transferred to the Oakley Plaza site, according to the email. Alternatively, members have the option to relocate to the Patton Avenue gym in West Asheville. Personal training contracts will also be redirected to a new facility.
Gold’s Gym, which operates 12 locations throughout North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, has been a fitness fixture in the region since the South Asheville location’s opening in 2014, following the closure of The Rush Fitness Complex. The facility itself has a storied history, previously housing a Bi-Lo Grocery, a chain that shuttered its last stores in 2021.
The owners of the soon-to-be-shuttered location at 1815 Hendersonville Road, Asheville-based developer Pulliam Properties, recently engaged in an early assistance meeting with city officials on October 24. While these preliminary discussions do not indicate final plans, they shed light on potential changes, including the “adaptive reuse of the space.” The proposed alterations may involve subdividing the property and adding a corner parcel, necessitating a redesign of 50% of the parking lot.
Earlier plans submitted to the city in 2020 hinted at a conversion of the Gold’s Gym back into a grocery store, its original purpose when designed in 1994. However, no revisions or resubmissions have occurred since August 2020.
The closure of the Hendersonville Road location follows a broader trend of fitness facility adjustments, with an emphasis on meeting evolving community needs. The gym industry’s responsiveness to shifting demands is evident in the proactive measures taken by Gold’s Gym, as they focus on enhancing existing facilities to better serve their membership base.
Will Hofmann, the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, invites tips and insights via email.
