FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NJ—National gym chain Crunch Fitness is flexing its muscles in Somerset County with a new 23,000 square-foot outlet at Rutgers Plaza in Franklin Township, continuing the franchise's rapid expansion in key markets throughout the United States. The 266,650-square-foot Somerset County shopping center is exclusively leased and managed by Levin Management.
Levin Management represented the property in negotiating the long-term transaction. Chuck Lanyard of the Goldstein Group represented the tenant.
As Americans become more health conscious and focus greater attention on diet and exercise, low-cost fitness chains are expanding at a record pace across the country, according to Matthew K. Harding, president of Levin Management.
"There is growing demand for affordable, well-located gyms that cater to consumers of all ages and skill levels," says Harding. "With the new year underway, many people are looking to set new health and fitness goals. The addition of Crunch Fitness brings another high-traffic anchor tenant to Rutgers Plaza and will greatly benefit our existing tenant base. We are confident Crunch Fitness will become a key amenity for those who live and work in the community."
Headquartered in New York City, Crunch believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment, and holding true to a philosophy of "No judgments." Crunch serves more than 400,000 members with both corporately owned and franchised locations throughout the United States and Australia.
Co-anchored by a 98,700-square-foot Kmart and a 74,000-square-foot Stop & Shop, Rutgers Plaza features a lineup of national and regional tenants, including Office Depot, Dollar Tree, Burger King, GameStop, Chase Bank, Plaza Cleaners, GNC and Venus Jewelers, among others. Situated on Easton Avenue at Kennedy Boulevard, Rutgers Plaza serves a growing residential population of more than 263,000 people within a five-mile radius. The marketplace offers an average household income of nearly $106,000 within one mile of the property.
Space availabilities at Rutgers Plaza range from 1,500 square feet to 9,700 square feet.
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Steve Lubetkin
Steve Lubetkin is the New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com. He is currently filling in covering Chicago and Midwest markets until a new permanent editor is named. He previously filled in covering Atlanta. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. His audio and video work for GlobeSt.com has been honored by the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced audio podcasts on CRE topics for the NAR Commercial Division and the CCIM Institute. Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies. Steve also reports on-camera and covers conferences for NJSpotlight.com, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC. Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996. Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional. You can email Steve at [email protected].
