Women-Only Gym To Be Replaced By Co-Ed Fitness Center

Brookline residents' already long list of health club options became even longer on Friday.

Healthworks Fitness Center For Women, currently located at 920 Commonwealth Avenue but moving shortly to Coolidge Corner, announced to its members last week that it would be converting the soon-to-be-vacant Commonwealth Avenue space into a co-ed "value club."

"We thought a co-ed value club would be a better fit in this location due to changes in the area's population," said Matt Harrington, a strategic projects manager for Healthworks.

In the fitness business, a value club is a facility that offers a basic range of workout machines and group exercises options with fewer amenities, allowing for a lower per-month price point.

Harrington was quick to point out that the new Commonwealth Avenue club would not bear the Healthworks name, and would be operated independently from the five women-only locations owned by the company. Harrington said he and his father, Healthworks President Mark Harrington, and his brother, Mark Harrington Jr., would own and operate the new concept in addition to their Healthworks locations.

Within two months of Healthworks' opening at its new Coolidge Corner location this fall, the new club is scheduled to open in the Commonwealth Avenue space. The new club will only use one floor of the space, a change made to the existing club there earlier in the summer. 

The value club's name and membership structure will be announced in late September.

"Much is still up in the air, but we just wanted to let our customers know what our plans were," said Harrington about the announcement. "The move is a better fit for both the Brookline Healthworks and this new club."