UPPER WEST SIDE — An aging theater that's been closed for more than a decade will be reborn as a discount fitness center, according to a local city councilman.
The Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway near West 99th Street will become a Blink Fitness, pending the City Planning Commission's approval, said City Councilman Mark Levine.
Previously, the West Side Rag reported that a Planet Fitness was planned for the space. Planet Fitness had signed a 15-year lease for the space, according to sources. But that deal fell through, said Levine who spoke with the Metro's owner, Albert Bialek, on Tuesday.
Since the Art Deco theater's closure in 2005, several deals to fill the space have come and gone, including plans to open an Urban Outfitters, a community theater and an Alamo Drafthouse, among others.
"I will say that I’m deeply disappointed that it’s not an arts and performance venue going into the space. It would have been a wonderful way to connect to the history of the theater, but having said that I certainly didn’t want years more of continued abandonment," said Levine in a phone conversation Wednesday.
Blink Fitness, a New York and New Jersey-based chain, has 32 locations in New York City, with several more on the way in Brooklyn and the Bronx. The gym advertises prices as low as $15 a month.
Blink Fitness said it could not confirm that a new gym was planned for 2626 Broadway. Bialek declined to comment.
