Thursday night's hearing regarding plans to turn Wynnewood Shopping Center's old Borders space into an LA Fitness has been postponed, according to an email from Lower Merion Zoning Officer Michael Wylie.

Federal Realty Investment Trust, the owners of the Wynnewood Shopping Center, presented their request for a variance allowing a fitness center use at the July 12 meeting of the Lower Merion Zoning Hearing Board. The previous Borders space, now occupied by Spirit Halloween, would become an upscale, "signature" LA Fitness, the first in eastern Pennsylvania. Read more about the proposed fitness center, including photos of tentative floor plans, here.

At the following LA Fitness hearing on Aug. 20, neighboring civic associations Shortridge and Wynnewood were granted standing as parties in the case. The two civics, represented by previous Lower Merion Zoning Hearing Board chairman, attorney Kenneth Aaron, oppose LA Fitness's request to operate a 24/7 facility.

In an email, Shortridge Civic Association President Joan Hindin said that Federal Realty has requested to meet with the two civic associations to talk about a possible resolution to the 24/7 operation concerns.

"While we have been united in our opposition to 24/7 hours of operation for LA Fitness and the shopping center, we have also been conciliatory in our efforts to engage Federal and LA Fitness in constructive dialogue about the future of the shopping center and its hours of operations," Hindin said.

"We are pleased that Federal Realty is willing to open this line of communication," the email continued. "Their action in opening this line of communication makes us hopeful we will be able to reach a resolution to the issues before us."

The LA Fitness hearing has not yet been rescheduled. The next meeting of the Zoning Hearing Board is Oct. 11 at 7:15 p.m.