A location fit for business
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on October 12, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/ROCHELLE MOORE
Planet Fitness is seeking city approval to renovate a portion of the former Kmart store at 201 N. Berkeley Blvd.
Planet Fitness has its sights on the Goldsboro market with plans to open inside the former Kmart big box store on North Berkeley Boulevard.
Building plans were submitted in the city of Goldsboro's Inspections Department Tuesday, with the fitness center planning to renovate 20,070 square feet, nearly a quarter of the 103,000-square-foot building, said Jeff Cooke, geographical information system administrator in the Goldsboro Planning Department.
A building upfit plan was submitted, but additional plans will need to be presented that show how the building will be subdivided, Cooke said.
The building permit should be approved within weeks, said Allen Anderson Jr., Goldsboro chief building inspector.
"The plans have been submitted, and it'll go through the permitting process," Anderson said.
The process includes approvals by city planners, engineers and inspectors, Anderson said.
"I would think it would be a pretty smooth process for us," he said. "I would think it would be approved within the next week."
Building upfit plans include adding a large exercise equipment area, with exercise equipment lined up in rows. There are areas for stretching, workout space and designated 30-minute workouts. The facility is planned to have men's and women's locker rooms and showers, tanning areas, room for massages and hydromassages.
Brittany Vick, Planet Fitness director of marketing, confirmed the company's plans for Goldsboro this week. The fitness center is on track to potentially open during the first quarter of 2018, Vick said.
"We're thrilled to open our first club in Goldsboro, N.C.," Vick said. "Planet Fitness is a place where we want our members to feel comfortable and set goals that work for them.
"We're excited to provide residents with a high-quality, judgment-free fitness experience 24/7, and at an extremely affordable cost."
City planning staff have not received any other inquiries about the former Kmart property since it closed in March, said James Rowe, Goldsboro planning director.
The building, at 201 N. Berkeley Blvd., is planned to have a new address assigned due to the subdivision of the building, Cooke said.
Kmart, which opened in Goldsboro in 1968, was one of 180 Kmart and Sears locations that closed this year. The Sears Holdings Corp. also announced in late August the closing of another 28 Kmart stores across the nation.