Fitness World to open 36,000 sq. ft. flagship gym at Brentwood in Burnaby | Daily Hive

Fitness World to open 36,000 sq. ft. flagship gym location at Gilmore Place in Burnaby's Brentwood district

The first phase of Gilmore Place next to SkyTrain's GIlmore Station, as seen in May 2024. (Kenneth Chan)

Burnaby’s Brentwood Town Centre district will see an additional major fitness centre, as Fitness World has now announced plans to open a location within the new Gilmore Place development.

The 36,000 sq. ft. Fitness World will be situated within the third level in the commercial base podium of the Two Gilmore Place mixed-use residential tower, which became Metro Vancouver’s new tallest building in 2023.

This will be a flagship “Signature Fitness World” location, second in size only to the chain’s 2022-opened, 40,000 sq. ft. Signature Fitness World at The Shops at Morgan Crossing in South Surrey. It will also be the chain’s second “Signature” location.

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This consolidates two spaces that were originally designated and marketed as office space. With the conversion of this office space into a fitness gym, about 44,000 sq. ft. of office space on the same level currently remains unleased by developer Onni Group.

“We’ve seen incredible momentum across British Columbia, and this location is a bold step forward, not only for Burnaby but for what’s ahead nationally,” said Chris Smith, CEO and President of Fitness World, in a statement, noting that this represents the next phase of Canada-wide expansion for the chain.

This location will offer an “elevated member experience,” including infrared light therapy, cold plunge, massage chairs, Normatec compression boots, tanning, over 100 group fitness classes weekly, expansive turf and functional training areas, a cardiovascular exercise theatre with elevated views of the surrounding area, a range of strength training areas, luxury locker rooms, and other amenities and programming.

Perry Mahal, Senior Leasing Manager at Onni Group, added, “We are excited to continue our relationship with Fitness World, with them choosing Gilmore Place for their new fitness facility in North Burnaby. Given their experience operating quality fitness facilities, we are confident it will be a great success with the residents of Gilmore Place and the surrounding communities.”

This Signature Fitness World at Gilmore Place will open in 2026.

The fitness gym will join T&T Supermarket as another anchor tenant of Gilmore Place, with the Asian supermarket expected to open later in 2025.

To date, the majority of the first phase of Gilmore Place’s retail/restaurant spaces are leased, with the first level fully leased, and retail/retail units of varying sizes still available on the second and third levels. This includes considerably-sized restaurant units with large outdoor patio opportunities. Altogether, Gilmore Place’s first phase features about 180,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space, making it the second largest retail hub within the Brentwood district after The Amazing Brentwood mall.

Other major private membership-based fitness gyms in the area include the 28,000 sq. ft. Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness, located on the city block immediately to the north, which is eyed for a high-density redevelopment over the longer term, and the recently opened 21,000 sq. ft. Evolve Strength at The Amazing Brentwood.

But this amounts to Fitness World’s return to the Brentwood district. The neighbouring Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness location was previously a Fitness World up until 2020, when the chain — then named Steve Nash Fitness World, and facing significant financial challenges upon the pandemic’s onset — closed the location and transferred its ownership and operations to the competitor.

Furthermore, situated just southeast of SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre Station, construction is now underway on the City of Burnaby’s $146-million, 106,000 sq. ft. Brentwood Community Centre, which will feature a fitness gym, gymnasium, running track, multi-purpose rooms, and indoor play areas.

Furthermore, residents now living within the nearly 1,600 homes of the first phase of Gilmore Place already have access to over 75,000 sq. ft. of shared indoor and outdoor amenity spaces within the complex, including a large fitness gym, a spin room, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, steam and sauna rooms, a half-court basketball court, a running track, a golf simulator, a rooftop dog park, a bowling alley, a movie theatre, lounges, and various other spaces.

The demand for additional community amenities and spaces will continue to grow as Brentwood’s population surges from significant densification. With thousands of new homes — potentially bringing tens of thousands of additional residents — still to come over the coming 20 years, and given its accessibility and convenience adjacent to SkyTrain, this need will only become more pressing.

The first phase of Gilmore Place, completed in 2024, is located immediately to the west of SkyTrain’s Gilmore Station. Planning is underway to proceed with future phases to the east of the station, with excavation already largely completed for the second phase.

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