A local developer is breathing new life into two London gyms that closed suddenly at the end of August.
Southside Group announced Thursday it has negotiated a lease termination with former Movati Athletic and is working to re-establish the fitness centres in north and south London under a new brand.
The Movati gyms at 755 Wonderland Road North and 3198 Wonderland Road South, closed with only one days notice at the end of August. They had served Londoners for 25 years. The fitness chain cited pandemic hardships and real estate challenges as the reason for the decision to shut down its London operations.
The abrupt closure left more than 100 people looking for work.
“We are presently working on hiring the previous staff to better serve the London community,” Southside Group said in a statement.
At this point, it is not known what the new gyms will be named or who will be operating them.
While an exact opening date has not been released, the plan is for the two gyms to be back in business in the next few weeks, the developer said.