Clairemont Town Square has new owners, and one of its next tenants might be the reason a longtime community staple is being forced out. Being Fit, an independent gym owned by Clairemont resident Michael Hecht, was informed in October that he has until December 31, 2025, to vacate the premises.
Though not confirmed, the rumor is that LA Fitness, which is opening a boutique gym in the old Reading Cinemas space, has a clause that precludes other gyms from occupying space in the same shopping center. At face value, this doesn’t seem like an unreasonable request. But delve deeper, and this could potentially have a significant impact on Clairemont’s senior population.
Being Fit, a staple at the Square for the past 36 years, caters primarily to seniors. They make up sixty percent of Being Fit’s clientele, and many of the gym’s instructors are seniors as well. Conversely, boutique gyms like Club Studio target a vastly different population.
Club Studio hails itself as “top tier fitness without the luxury price tag,” yet the base membership price for its nearest gym in Irvine starts at $229 per month, in comparison to Being Fit’s average monthly rate of $29. Club Studio indeed offers elevated programs and services, such as hot yoga, reformer-based Pilates, boxing, mood-lit spin classes, and cryotherapy. Data shows that boutique fitness members typically range in age from 25 to 44.
The Senior Connection
Being Fit participates in several healthcare insurance-funded senior programs, including SilverSneakers, Renew Active, and One Pass. Member participants typically get a capped amount of gym visits per month.
“We get paid something like $4 a visit, up to 10 visits, and it’s capped at $48 a month,” explained Michael of the insurance reimbursement. “The expensive gyms aren’t going to accept that when they’re charging $250 a month.”
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For most of Michael’s senior clientele, even paying the difference in cost wouldn’t be affordable. Additionally, of the local gyms that do participate in the insurance-reimbursed senior programs, many do not even offer senior classes nearby, including LA Fitness in Kearny Mesa. Club Studio is not listed as a participant in the SilverSneakers program, nor did they respond to my request about it at the time this article was published.
Being Fit, on the other hand, offers six SilverSneakers classes a week, as well as many other classes without the official senior designation, but primarily attended by seniors. Michael’s biggest concern about shuttering his gym is what will happen to his senior members.
“This is where they have their classes. This is where they feel comfortable. People, when they get older, get into a routine and stay with that routine,” said Michael.
Michael’s concerns are valid. Seniors cite a myriad of reasons for shying away from gyms, including feeling intimidated and cost. The National Academy of Sports Medicine noted that factors such as convenience, low cost, and senior-specific facilities increase adherence to programs.
Loss of Their Senior Community
For Being Fit members like Carl Miller, a thirteen-year member, the loss of his gym is a devastating blow. “I first started working out at 55. Being Fit keeps me strong, and its SilverSneakers classes are full of grandparents like me staying healthy and productive into our eighties,” Carl said.
When asked his thoughts about Club Studio, he replied, “This new gym seems no place for us.”
Cher Dale, an original Being Fit member, echoes Carl’s sentiments. “Over these past many years, Michael Hecht developed Being Fit to provide specialized group classes for seniors who want to remain safely active by providing a variety of classes from balance and stretching, yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba, and more,” said Cher.
She continued, “Because this gym is rather small, it enables one to more easily meet other members that often develop into long-term friendships—a wonderful community feeling.”
The closure represents not just the loss of a business but a gut punch to a tight-knit community of older adults.
The Gym Ownership Rollercoaster
Michael took over the gym from his father 25 years ago. Being Fit was flourishing until the pandemic hit. Government-imposed closures made gyms across the country among the most impacted businesses during that time, and Being Fit was no exception.
Despite losing 600 members (for perspective, the gym currently has 3600 members), Being Fit made it through to the other side and survived. But things were never quite the same. The Square changed ownership several times, and Being Fit’s lease terms were changed to month-to-month.
“We’ve been through a lot. The pandemic changed everything,” said Michael. When the lease terms changed, Michael said he could see the writing on the wall and believed the plan was always to push him out eventually. “I just thought I’d have more time.”
Michael was given 90 days’ notice on the termination of his lease, which he said he appreciates since it’s a month-to-month agreement, but it’s still not enough time. His appeal for an extension until March was denied by the new owners of the Square, DLC Management.
Michael said he has been unable to secure a similar space nearby thus far, and the stress is mounting.
“Financially, I’m under a lot of stress because I have some loans I have to work out, and I worry about where my seniors will go,” he said.
Can Being Fit and Club Studio Coexist?
Representatives from LA Fitness and DLC Management were at the Clairemont Community Planning Group meeting in October to announce their new plans. Residents and committee members immediately expressed concern about how the new plans would affect Being Fit and its members.
A member of the community asked the LA Fitness representative at the meeting, “So this is an upper-end fitness center?” To which the representative answered, “Yes, that is correct.”
The community member then asked, “Is there any way to allow them [Being Fit] to stay because they’ve been there for years? It’s a different clientele, and it would be really good for you to reconsider.”
Robert Toro, the representative from DLC Management, said, based on his understanding after speaking with his leasing staff, that Being Fit and DLC Management couldn’t agree on renewal terms. And since this would create a gap in fitness offerings, it worked out with the Club Studio deal.
Michael said there was no negotiation of new lease terms.
Glenn Schmidt, a leading member of the Clairemont Community Planning Group, addressed Toro and the LA Fitness representative by saying, “If you have a conflict that’s really not a conflict and you look into it and do some research, you’ll realize that’s not going to draw customers from you. It seems like the most neighborly thing to do would be to welcome another service that would help our community of seniors and their fitness needs.”
The LA Fitness representative said he would discuss this with his operations department.
Another community member at the meeting raised one concern about Being Fit, claiming it hasn’t been spruced up in quite a few years. Michael did not deny this.
“That’s fair,” he said. “But the other part of that is we’re month-to-month, so we don’t really know. We’re not going to spend a bunch of money [in uncertainty].” But he said they keep it clean and pay a monthly service to ensure their equipment is functional.
The Future for Club Studio and Being Fit
The current status of the Clairemont Town Square’s fitness options is bittersweet. Many Clairemont residents are excited about Club Studio coming to the neighborhood, making it emblematic of this changing community.
However, many others, particularly seniors, feel trepidation and uncertainty about their fitness future without Being Fit.
As of now, Being Fit’s lease termination date of December 31, 2025, remains in place. The last day for members to visit will be December 15, 2025. Unless DLC Management and LA Fitness reconsider, Clairemont may lose one of its few fitness spaces dedicated to older adults.
Residents who wish to share feedback on the situation can email DLC Management’s CEO, Adam Ifshin, at aifshin@dlcmgmt.com or call 914-304-5625. LA Fitness’s contact email is contact@fitnessintl.com, and their phone number is 949-255-7200.
Community members are also encouraged to attend upcoming Clairemont Community Planning Group and Clairemont Town Council meetings to stay informed about topics affecting the community.
I. too have been a long time member of Being Fit. went there many years before I became a senior!
The classes designed for seniors are awesome. great instructors . all classes are always full . It is a community , we’re all friends, which is so important when you’re a senior.
Being Fit is not in any way competing with LA Fitness . LA Fitness does not have classes for seniors.
We are all devastated by Being Fit forced to close …. where else offers so many diverse classes for seniors
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Carol. I met many others yesterday with similar sentiments.
I am sending this letter to Adam and LA Fitness –
I am writing to share my absolute disappointment and request for your firm to reconsider terminating Being-Fit’s lease which your firm is unfairly moving out a small businessman’s company to a large-scale gym which is a significant show of greed and unfair business practices.
I have been a member of being fit since 1987, about when it opened. I was 24 years old then, now 61 and have been a loyal member of this gym and its offering and with a stroke of a pen, you are destroying community and a family-oriented gym that there is no similar offering in Clairemont. I am a successful businesswoman and trust me I will NEVER cross the doors of this LA Fitness based on this firm pushing Being Fit out and most in Clairemont will follow my lead and this gym will fail. Both gyms CAN co-exist, and your firm is being short sided not considering that.
What is really sickening, you ALLOW ILLEGAL AND UNLICENSED food vendors selling street taco Monday – Sunday 5pm-11pm, AND yet you cannot keep an honest hard-working business in your center. These vendors are an EYE SORE to our neighborhood and to this center and yet, you terminate someone who pays their taxes and their licenses with the city and their income taxes. What does this say about your firm. You support illegal merchants and an overpriced gym and kick the honest hard worker business owner to the curb.
I will be at the next planning committee to express my concerns; your firm should be ashamed of the blatant abuse to hard working and honest people who just want to work out and stay in shape and those who do not have the funds to pay $229 for a monthly membership. Know this, this new gym will not succeed at this center, we are not La Jolla or Carmel Valley, we are Clairemont STRONG.
Thanks
As a 10 year resident of Clairemont i have been a member at Being Fit since. I am 52 and enjoy pushing weight and staying fit. This gym has assisted me in reaching my goals and i use it as a supplemental gym to another I am a member of at Fit Athletic East Village. Though i pay 190 a month for fit and another 29 here at Being Fit i will not change over and support this “boutique” La Fitness. This is due to the way the ownership is pushing out Being Fit but more importantly the senior community that are a staple. I have always enjoyed seeing how they are dedicated to an active lifestyle and have been blessed and motivated seeing their dedication to fitness. As i get to my senior years i have gleaned on information from these members on how to stay active well into my senior years. I can afford the dual membership but see how some of our seniors are on a tighter budget and to take this gym away is just an example of the greed that is festering in this country. Being Fit is not competition to La Fitness, it caters to a specific market. Fit Athletic is the competition and i will continue driving downtown and proudly giving them my money instead of supporting this new location.
Great article Tanja! Im not sure how much space is needed but I think there are vacancies near Sipz is located on clairemont mesa blvd & 805. I believe I heard this complex was recently purchased and not sure of their plans. Also the old Spectrum cable location near Sprouts on Clairemont drive has been vacant for a long time.
I hope there is time to find a new location suitable for Being Fit and their cherished clients. Thank you again for your help sharing how important Being Fit is to our community 🙏
I remember hearing about some other business was already slated to move in where Being Fit is located. If true, that would complicate matters as it involves another party. Do you have any data on this?
Aqua Tots looks like it is slated for that spot. But I think Mike is open to another location in the Square.