New York Sports Club closes three locations in Lee County and lays off 108 employees

July 17, 2024

The New York Sports Club will permanently close three locations in Lee County.

In a WARN notice to the Florida Department of Commerce, the company shared plans to close three of its gyms, which would result in 108 layoffs.

The state requires businesses to file advance notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act if they plan to lay off 50 or more employees so that state and local assistance can be provided promptly to affected workers.

The gyms (formerly known as Around the Clock Fitness) that will soon close are located at 9375 Six Mile Cypress Parkway and 1755 Boy Scout Drive in Fort Myers and 1140 Ceitus Terrace in Cape Coral. They are the only ones in Florida.

Their last official working day will be August 31, the same day the layoffs take effect.

The dismissals affect one manager and three deputy general managers.

In terms of numbers, those most affected are group exercise instructors (43), followed by service and sales representatives (11).

Others are losing their jobs: cleaners, reception managers, childcare workers and professional trainers.

In addition, several personal trainers and some other people working in facilities, administration and management are affected by the layoffs.

From our archive: “Give us at least a week”: Why companies are closing and laying off workers at short notice

The statement, which was written and signed by Melissa Williams, vice president of human resources at the New York fitness company, did not give a reason for the closures.

According to the company’s website, the fitness club was founded in 1973 as Town Squash Inc. to “bring the popular sport of squash to the New York masses.” It has locations in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Massachusetts, and says it offers affordable monthly memberships that “won’t break the bank.”

New York Sports Club was once one of several fitness brands owned by Town Sports International, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 after being bought out by investors.

Since then, the company has been working on restructuring under new ownership and leadership.