LA Fitness Starts 45,000-SF Project

RIVERSIDE, CA-LA Fitness has started construction on its second facility in the city of Riverside, a 45,000-fitness center at Alamo-based Transcan Development’s $42 million Canyon Crossings mixed-use project. The fitness center is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2006 at the Canyon Crossing project site, at Interstate 215 and State Highway 60.According to Bill Horner, SVP of real estate for 21-year-old, Irvine-based LA Fitness, the new facility will be the only LA Fitness center thus far in Riverside other than the location that opened last year at 19531 Mission Village Drive, near Alessandro Boulevard and Mission Grove Parkway. The Canyon Crossings facility will include a 25-yard lap pool, a heated spa, a sauna, an aerobics room, full circuit training, free weights and more than 60 pieces of cardio equipment, a kid’s club and juice bar. Horner says LA Fitness will also offer 45 to 50 group fitness programs, including indoor cycling, kick box cardio, aqua aerobics, basketball and racquetball leagues and tournaments. Canyon Crossings is located in the heart of Canyon Springs, a 180-acre master-planned commercial hub. Upon completion, the project will comprise more than 740,000 sf of retail, including a 230,000-sf Wal-Mart Supercenter plus a mixture of other major retailers, specialty shops, restaurants and lifestyle venues including John’s Incredible Pizza, Wickes Furniture and Home Gallery Furniture Superstore. The project will also include 144,000 sf of class A office space and will include Chapman University. CB Richard Ellis in Ontario is the leasing agent for the retail and office components, with Tom Swieca and Tony Archer as agents for the retail component while John Oien and Natalie Bazarevitsch are leasing the office space. Construction completion of phase one is scheduled for first quarter of 2006, with Summit Builders of Newport Beach is the general contractor. MCG Architects of Pasadena and Designers Collective of Lafayette, California serve as project architects.