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Lifestyle Fitness Hits Stride At New Home

Tribune photo by Fred Bellet

Janet Matthew of Land O' Lakes was one of the many who came out to the grand opening of the new Lifestyle Fitness at Willow Bend Towne Center.

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - More than a year after moving into temporary quarters, Lifestyle Family Fitness opened the doors of its new facility off State Road 54 this week.

The 36,000-square-foot fitness center opened Monday in Willow Bend Towne Center, at S.R. 54 and Collier Parkway, in a location formerly occupied by Publix.

Lifestyle was cleared to convert the former grocery store after Publix reached a settlement in 2007 with Sembler Co., which owns the plaza. Sembler objected to Publix's plan to sublease the space to a fitness center after the grocer moved to Collier Commons.

The airy new space was a welcome change for many people who became Lifestyle members when the company took over the former World Gym site a few miles east on S.R. 54.

That facility, while praised for its family friendliness, was dramatically smaller than the new location, which is awash in shiny white weight machines backed up by row upon row of treadmills.

"You just feel like the whole gym is just for yourself," said Mok Tadili, 24, as he took a break from working his triceps on a cable machine.

"What can I tell you?" said Tadili, a student at the University of South Florida. "There's more motivation here."

Longtime weightlifter Ross Engel, 28, echoed that sentiment.

"All the new machines give you a kick in the backside to work harder," said the pastor for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Land O' Lakes.

This week's grand opening included free enrollments for new members.

More than 200 people signed up between July 25 and Wednesday afternoon, district manager Tim Tunnecliffe said.

Tunnecliffe said he expects the new fitness center to handle up to 30,000 people a month, comparable to facilities the St. Petersburg-based company has at Citrus Park or Bloomingdale in Hillsborough County.

Past and future growth in south-central Pasco made the area a natural fit for Lifestyle, Tunnecliffe said.

"From the demographic standpoint, there's no doubt it's going to be successful," he said of the new location.

The new Lifestyle gym faces much competition.

In the past year or so, an array of fitness centers have opened in Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel, including an Anytime Fitness location at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and County Line Road.

Adding to the competition for local workout dollars, L.A. Fitness plans to open a New Tampa site at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs and County Line.

Tunnecliffe said Lifestyle welcomes the competition and sees it as more opportunities for people to improve their health - though he would like to see some of them come through his doors.

"We look at it as a greater opportunity for people to work out," he said.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.

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