Downtown boutique gym set to open with barre, TRX classes
A new boutique fitness studio is in the works to fill a spot in the bottom floor of the St. Clair Lofts, helping keep it fully occupied.
Third Space Fitness is expected to open in mid-September, said owner Lindsey Deck, a downtown attorney who said she has a passion for fitness. The gym will offer group fitness classes including TRX, barre and dance cardio classes.
“I’ve been doing group fitness classes for probably 20 years and it’s just been my preferred method of exercise and so I did it in a lot of different studios and sort of pulled little pieces from each place that I’ve liked. What I really wanted to do with my space was to create a space where you can get a variety of workouts in one space,” Deck said.
Many other boutique-style fitness centers focus on one type of exercise, Deck said, but she plans to offer about 20 classes a week at the start and 25 to 30 once the business has established clientele. Classes will include early before work hours, typical morning hours, express lunch workouts and evening workouts. Pricing hasn’t been determined yet, but Deck said it will be competitive with other boutique studios. She plans to have a drop in class pass cost and a membership.
Though she will be certified in all the classes to remain a presence and fill in for the instructors she hires, Deck plans to continue her day job as an attorney. In all she plans to hire about 10 people, including instructors and a manager to handle day-to-day operations.
She will also have a babysitter and play area on site during some of the classes.
“I have two small children of my own, so I know it can be hard sometimes to get away. And I think it’s important to set aside time for yourself,” Deck said.
Deck has wanted to open the studio for about 10 years, but it wasn’t until last year when she started seriously looking for spaces with the help of her father who is a general contractor. He’s helped determine how big of a project renovations would be and is working on the build out, which will cost around $30,000. Deck said.
“I started looking in Kettering and Oakwood, but I really wanted to be downtown for a variety of reasons. I work down here. I’ve lived in Dayton since I was about 6. With everything that’s going on in the downtown Dayton area, it’s really pretty exciting,” Deck said.
Deck first started discussions in May to rent the first-floor space where Soccer Shots was formerly and signed the lease around July 4. Demo started last week and Deck and her father are waiting for permits to continue the work.
The name Third Space is based on a book by Ray Oldenburg that discusses the third space as something separate from an individuals two usual environments — home and work.