CHELSEA — A CrossFit gym that's come under fire from neighbors and Community Board 4 for being too noisy will spend a quarter of a million dollars on soundproofing, its owner told DNAinfo New York.
Jarett Perelmutter, the owner of Brick New York at 257 W. 17th St., has hired a sound engineer and has begun installing soundproofing materials in the hopes of pacifying the condo board of its building, which hit the gym with a lawsuit in a bid to stop its athletes from creating a racket with dropped weights.
To continue to allow its members to work out safely, which includes hoisting heavy weights overhead multiple times and letting them free-fall back to the ground to prevent injury, the gym will add floor padding and a special acoustical drop ceiling that absorbs noise, Perelmutter said.
The gym plans to spend about $250,000 on the improvements, which will be done in a few weeks, he said.
"We're not just some plastic fitness facility," Perelmutter said. "We want to make this work at the highest level possible."
Brick, which offers strength and conditioning training for all ages, is already popular in the neighborhood, with more than 500 members.
But CB4 slammed the gym earlier this month for operating without a Physical Culture Establishment permit, which is required by the city. According to the Department of Buildings, the location currently has an open violation for not having the permit, but has yet to be fined by the city.
Perelmutter said that the gym had filed an application for the permit before they opened in August and that it meets all city standards.
Jay Ginsberg, a lawyer for the tenants suing the gym, said his clients had not yet seen or heard any results from the gym's soundproofing work.
"The residents have not noticed an improvement and the litigation will go forward," he said.
Perelmutter said the improvements will be completed soon, and he plans to reach out to the tenants.
"It's gotten quieter every day," he said. "We just want a happy ending for everybody."
