Six or seven months ago, the oldest fitness gym in this area closed its doors after 60 years in business.
My dad learned how to box in that gym.
The gym is exactly the type that you would see in an old boxing movie. There was a large ring in the middle of the place with a giant ceiling. There was a variety of boxing equipment to use. After decades of use, the gym was starting to look more like an old warehouse. The owner of the boxing gym didn’t have the money to pay for new equipment and materials, and people stopped using the facility. Six months ago, they closed the doors and the lot and building has been vacant since that time. Last Saturday, my girlfriend and I were driving over to the movie theater and saw a large sign in the front window of the old boxing gym. They are turning the old gym into a giant bodybuilding megaplex. The name of the company was listed on the construction sign and it is one of those nationally known companies that focus on bodybuilding and weightlifting. They are going to open for business right before the winter holidays. I’m glad that someone is going to turn the building into something new and useful. I’m not sure that my family or I will find much use for a bodybuilding or weightlifting gym, but the revenue will be great for the local business and our community. It’s also going to help the restaurant at the end of the corner. Maybe they can sell a healthy lunch alternative to the bodybuilders.