California-based UFC Gym plans to open a 24-hour facility in New Hyde Park early next year at the former Jericho Turnpike location of a King Kullen supermarket.
UFC – or Ultimate Fitness Center – gained site plan approval from the Town of North Hempstead board at last Wednesday night’s meeting to make the move into the building at 2020 Jericho Turnpike vacated by King Kullen last year.
The recreation facility hopes to move into the 37,000-square-foot facility, which it will sublet from King Kullen, by next February or March, according to Adam Sedlack, UFC senior vice president. Sedlack said the company plans to submit its final site plans to the town in two weeks.
The New Hyde Park facility will be the first UFC gym outside of California and Hawaii.
“We wanted to get to New York. That was important to us,” Sedlack said. “I think we can come in and fill a gap that hasn’t been filled yet.”
Sedlock said the company sees Long Island as an underserved market for gym facilities and selected New Hyde Park as a central location in the region. Its target demographic is 40-year-old parents of children and Sedlock said the demographics and income level of the immediate area was a good fit.
“The objective is mom and dad work out and the kids work out as well,” Sedlack said.
Subscription costs will start out at $50 to $99 monthly, depending on the level of membership individuals and families select. UFC offers classes in a range of fitness regimens, including cycling, zumba and various martial arts. The classes and the instruction members receive from UFC instructors is what Sedlack said distinguishes its gyms from competitors.
“We have more classes, more interactivity with customers,” Sedlack said.
Sedlack said UFC will have between eight and 12 full-time employees at the facility.
“It’s a good use of the property, especially in these economic times,” said Town Councilman Angelo Ferrara during the public hearing on the UFC site plan on Tuesday night. “I think there was concern when King Kullen moved out of there, what would happen to the property.”
Michael Marinis, the engineer who designed the UFC site plan, said the company planned renovations inside the building but would not otherwise alter the structure.
Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman said UFC’s plans for the site are “fairly straightforward.”
New Hyde Park resident Jim Booth expressed concern about the adequacy of parking space on the site.
Ferrara said he thinks the existing 175-space parking lot on the site would provide sufficient on-site space for the size of the building.
“If you go to L.A. Fitness, the parking lot’s filled there,” Booth said, referring to the nearby Lake Success exercise facility on Union Turnpike.
Michael Levine, commissioner of the Department of Planning, said the town board of zoning appeals saw no need for a variance on parking for the proposed fitness facility.
Ferrara said UFC would bring jobs to the area and said New Hyde Park civic association leaders he had spoken with registered positive reactions to the prospect of UFC moving in.
