Healthworks To Take Over the Sports Club/LA Chestnut Hill

Healthworks photo provided.

When the news hit that Equinox was acquiring the Sports Club/LA in Boston this morning, we pondered what would happen to the Sports Club/LA Chestnut Hill.

In a shocking announcement this afternoon, the Healthworks Group (HW Group) announced that it is acquiring the suburban club. In a statement, Healthworks President, Mark Harrington Jr. stated, “We are extremely excited about adding this beautiful club to our collection. We look forward to meeting the staff and members to discuss their ideas on how to further enhance the member experience.”

This is shocking for two reasons: First, there is a massive Healthworks that went under a half a million dollar renovation in 2012 just across the street. And second, Healthworks is a women-only gym. What’s happening here?

We reached out to Healthworks spokesperson Tara Wislocki for details, and she says that the Healthworks on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill will remain the same. As for the Sports Club/LA, at this time, the only thing that will really change is the name. The club is not even two-years-old, after all.

This will be an entirely new brand and division for Healthworks, Wislocki says. “It will be a more luxurious brand and it will be co-ed,” she says. As for what the club will be called, at this time, Healthworks really doesn’t know. Wislocki says that more information will be provided after the company takes over operations September 1. Until then, current members of both clubs have no reason to be alarmed.

“We are making a long-term commitment to this location and to this facility” said Healthworks CEO Mark Harrington in a statement. “We will be leveraging the expertise and resources of Healthworks to bring this club to new levels of service and member satisfaction.”

According to the statement:

All obligations to current Sports Club/LA members will be honored and all current hours of operation will be maintained by The Healthworks Group.

As a longstanding local operator, HW Group is uniquely poised to bring the Chestnut Hill community together and create an epicenter of healthy living in this state of the art facility. HW Group is eager to join the neighboring restaurants and boutiques at The Street where it will be able to not only increase the convenience but also heighten the experience of every customer visit.

This isn’t the HW Group’s first foray into a co-ed gym. The group also owns the popular, inexpensive chain called Gym It.