The San Francisco 49ers Team-Branded Gym That Was Formerly A Craft and Fabrics Store
A crowd of ~70,000 will be at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this weekend when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game.
But other fans may watch while working out at 49ers Fit, a 27,000 square foot gym located roughly 10 miles south of the stadium.
The team-branded fitness facility is affiliated with (but not operated by) the 49ers franchise and features team-branded equipment and even a pro store.
Another interesting thing about the gym?
It was created via an adaptive reuse of a shuttered crafts and fabrics store at Federal Realty’s Westgate Center Outlet Mall in San Jose.
Team branded fitness facilities operate in the home markets of at least five NFL franchises including the San Francisco 49ers.
And the majority of these team branded gyms were created via the adaptive reuse of retail space former occupied by Big Box tenants.
Including 49ers Fit at Westgate Center which was once a Hancock Fabrics store.
When Hancock Fabrics filed for bankruptcy in 2016, all 200 of its sites throughout the country were shuttered.
Including its large store at Federal Realty’s 640,000 square foot Westgate Center Outlet Mall in San Jose.
But the shopping center REIT did not backfill Hancock’s anchor space with another retail user.
Instead it opted to an “experiential” tenant like 49ers Fit.
The unique gym features more than 70 pieces of cardio and strength training equipment, group fitness studios, spin cycling rooms and a recovery lounge that offers cryotherapy, compression reclining chairs and hydromassage.
There is even a 40 yard turf area for functional training and sprint work.
Like 49ers Fit, many of the other NFL-branded gyms in the U.S. were also created through the adaptive reuse of former retail space.
For instance, the BearsFit location in Metro Chicago that is affiliated with the Chicago Bears is a repurposed, 45,000 square foot former Sports Authority retail store.
And there are two ChiefsFit gyms in the Kansas City area that were formed via a partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs - both which are also adaptive reuses of former retail space.
The first ChiefsFit, which opened in Fall 2021, is an adaptive reuse of a 37,000 square foot former Michaels craft store in an Overland Park, Kansas shopping center.
And a second ChiefsFit gym opened last year at in the Plaza area of Kansas City.
Chiefs Fit Country Club Plaza is an adaptive reuse of the historic Jack Henry building that was originally built 70 years ago and was the longtime home of the Jack Henry men’s clothing store.
Both ChiefsFit gyms feature cardio equipment, Chiefs-branded weights, an indoor turf field, a recovery facility w/cryotherapy treatment, hydromassage, full-amenity locker rooms and a Chiefs retail shop.
The Country Club Plaza facility even includes a unique rooftop training area and lounge.
The NFL branded gyms were formed via a partnership between the teams and Mark Mastrov of M6 Football, New Evolution Ventures, and formerly of 24 Hour Fitness.
Additional fitness facilities are also operated in Cleveland and Dallas.
But with 85% of NFL teams without a branded fitness facility - and plenty of good retail real estate available for adaptive reuse - expect to see more NFL branded facilities in the coming years.