No Firm Plans Yet For LA Fitness, Bargain Books
LA Fitness was granted zoning approval to occupy the Borders building in Wynnewood Shopping Center earlier this year.
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There's still no word on when, or if, LA Fitness will take over the former Borders space in Wynnewood Shopping Center, currently occupied by Bargain Book Warehouse.
A representative of Federal Realty Investment Trust, the owners of Wynnewood Shopping Center, said this week that they have nothing firm to announce yet regarding a lease with LA Fitness, which had expressed interest in opening a 24/7 "upscale, signature" fitness center in the old Borders building.
Federal Realty and LA Fitness spent more than six months in discussion with neighboring civic associations and Lower Merion's Zoning Hearing Board, culminating in the Zoning Hearing Board's decision in January that LA Fitness would be permitted to occupy the Borders building, but with significantly reduced hours.
Meanwhile, after a short stint as a Halloween store, the Borders building became a Bargain Book Warehouse in November.
When asked this week about the details of Bargain Book Warehouse's lease agreement and the state of a lease agreement with LA Fitness, Federal Realty Marketing Manager Lisa Geiger said the company had no details to give.
"We are still working through things with nothing firm to announce. At this point in time, Bargain Books is expected to continue operating at Wynnewood Shopping Center," Geiger said.
Employees at Bargain Book Warehouse told Patch they were unaware of LA Fitness taking over their location and said they were also unaware of any move-out date planned by the bargain bookstore.
Read more about LA Fitness and Bargain Book Warehouse:
- Wynnewood LA Fitness Project Moves Ahead (Jan. 11, 2013)
- Bargain Bookstore Moves Into Borders Space (Nov. 9, 2012)
- Wynnewood's Old Borders Space: What Should Move In? (Aug. 15, 2012)
- LA Fitness Hearing Postponed (July 25, 2012)
- LA Fitness Eyes Wynnewood Shopping Center For Upscale, 'Signature' Gym (July 13, 2012)
- Vacated Borders Wynnewood to Re-Open as Furniture Outlet (Nov. 18, 2011)
- Borders Goes Dark Friday (Sept. 16, 2011)
- Wynnewood Borders to Close, Leaving Behind 40 Jobs, Vacant Anchor Store (July 19, 2011)
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Katie Pfeiffer
10:02 pm on Thursday, March 21, 2013
I hope Bargain Book Warehouse gets to stay at the Wynnewood location. Brains over brawn! ( I'm kidding). But seriously I have grown to love BBW in the short time it has occupied this space. Great books, great bargains. While exercise is important, the book store as a physical reality is rapidly vanishing. I'm a tactile person and like to look and feel a book before I buy it.
Beth Greenspan
12:41 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013
I wholeheartedly agree with the comment about BBW. We have plenty of fitness centers and almost no bookstores. And the prices at BBW are excellent. It's a fun place to browse and actually handle books, as the previous person mentioned. If BBW can't stay at that location, can we find another home for it in the Ardmore/Wynnewood area? Are there others out there who miss bookstores?
Katie Pfeiffer
12:50 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Thank you Beth for backing up my comment and I agree with you 100%. If BBW can't stay at that location isn't there somewhere else close by to move into? I am a tactile person and I like to feel, hold and look at books before I buy them. Books are to be treasured and worshipped- just like the local organic produce ( sorry to stray off the topic).