Vermont Business Magazine Berlin Mall, LLC, the owner of Berlin Mall, has announced a lease signing for 15,000 square-feet of space immediately beyond the Mall’s main entrance, with Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States. “We’ve been searching for years to find the right tenant for this high-profile space, and in addition to providing Central Vermont residents with a meaningful service at great value, Planet Fitness provides good jobs for the area’s workforce,” saidKen Simon, VP of Heidenberg Properties Group, owners of Berlin Mall, LLC.
The Hampton, NH-based company has revolutionized the fitness industry with extremely low prices and offers a variety of benefits, including a hassle-free environment called the Judgement Free Zone®, brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully-equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions, unlimited small group fitness instruction by a certified trainer through the pe@pf program, and much more. There are three Planet Fitness franchises in Vermont (Essex Junction, South Burlington and St. Albans), and the Berlin Mall location will be the first in Vermont to be owned by Planet FitnessCorporate.
In addition to enhancing the Mall’s tenant roster, mall owners are committed to creating a community space featuring vibrant cultural events for area residents and visitors to enjoy. Last summer the Mall hostedBig Art, Little Art– an exhibit of large scale works by 16 Vermont artists and weekly art workshops for families. And this past winter, the Mall hostedWalk the Long Trail at Berlin Mall, and attracted over 600 registered walkers who covered 12,290 miles and raised $5,280 for the Green Mountain Club. (In response to popular demand, theWalkwill become an annual event at the Mall.)
Berlin Mall, LLC purchased the Mall in 2010 and in 2012, the Mall received Act 250 and local zoning approval to expand Walmart to a Walmart Supercentre, offering a full-service grocery store serving customers from all over central and northern Vermont. Already home to JCPenney, the Mall added a third department store when Kohl’s opened in March 2016.
“We are thrilled to be bringing our non-intimidating, high-quality, and affordable fitness experience to the Central Vermont community,” said Jim Esposito, Planet Fitness’ Senior Vice President of Corporate Club Operations.
The location is expected to open in December 2017 or early 2018, and Planet Fitness will be hosting a membership presale beginning this fall. More information about Planet Fitness can be found by visitingwww.planetfitness.com.
“The addition of Planet Fitness, and community events likeWalk the Long Trail at Berlin Mall, further our goals of revitalizing the mall property, creating good local jobs, and providing residents and visitors to the area with a positive shopping experience,” said Mall Manger, Gerry Hanifin.“Our vision is to create a vibrant town center where people of all ages live, work and play in a way that embraces community and celebrates life in Central Vermont,” addedLand Strategies’Michael Rushman,the Mall’sDirector of Marketing and Strategic Planning.
About Planet Fitness:Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of March 31, 2017, Planet Fitness had approximately 10 million members and more than 1,300 stores in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Dominican Republic. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.For more information, visitwww.planetfitness.com
About Berlin Mall:Situated between Montpelier (Vermont’s State Capital) and Barre, and ¼-mile from the intersection of I-89 and Rt, 62, the Berlin Mall is ideally positioned to draw from local and regional customers. Berlin Mall’s anchor tenants are Walmart, Kohl’s, and JCPenney, and other tenants include: Avenue A, Bath & Body Works, Claire’s Boutique, Coffee Mugs USA, Game Stop, GNC Live Well,MJ’s Beauty Salon,Maurice’s, Olympia Sports, Optical Expressions, SHOE DEPT., The Cellular Connection and Vermont Bobbin. For more information, visitwww.theberlinmall.com
About Heidenberg Properties Group:Heidenberg Properties Group develops, owns and manages a diverse portfolio of strategically located open-air shopping centers and retail properties. Its portfolio consists of approximately 2,000,000 square feet of retail space concentrated in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and West Virginia. The portfolio includes large regional shopping centers, neighborhood and community properties and single tenant assets. For more information, visitwww.heidenbergproperties.com
Source: Planet Fitness 8.14.2017