Remodeled 24 Hour Fitness opens
COSTA MESA — Dieters will have to look elsewhere for excuses not to follow through on their New Year’s weight-loss resolutions with the reopening of 24 Hour Fitness on 19th Street.
The members-only club closed Dec. 9 and reopened Thursday after undergoing a remodel to the exercise rooms, pool and locker room areas and various enhancements, including new cardio-training equipment and fresh paint.
Club employees stood at the registration desk, welcoming members back by name as they signed in for the first time in three weeks. Cleaning crews were still busy tidying up the 37,000-square-foot facility as of noon Thursday.
“At 24 Hour Fitness, we place our members and their needs at the center of all we do,” Jim McPhail, executive vice president of real estate and chief development officer, said in an email. “By keeping our ear to the ground at our clubs, we are able to listen to our members and respond to their feedback to improve our facilities. We are constantly working to provide members with a great fitness experience, which includes continued reinvestment in the existing clubs in our fleet.”
Among the new equipment was a FreeMotion Lat Machine, which had been on member Michael Caddock’s “wish list” for two years, he said.
“I have a very unique and specialized workout,” said Caddock, who undergoes physical therapy to strengthen his back muscles.
The machine will allow him to work out much more efficiently, he said.
“They’ve always been good, but I am very happy with the remodel,” Caddock said.
However, not everyone thinks the modifications are for the better.
“It’s adequate,” said Bob Reyes, a 12-year member of the club. “But I wish they had left it alone.”
The old flooring was still in place, new machines replaced previous favorites and the layout felt more crowded, he said.
“It’s still new, so we’ll see,” Reyes said. “It might be good or it might turn out to be a bad thing.”
The club was one of hundreds remodeled by the San Ramon, Calif.-based fitness club chain, which offers three pricing levels depending on the location’s amenities.
Monthly memberships are $29 for active clubs, $39 for sport clubs pricing and $54 for super sport clubs, according to Daily Pilot archives.
24 Hour Fitness opened a more luxurious club, a Super Sport, at Triangle Square in November. The 60,000-square-foot club is about a mile from the 19th Street location.
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