The Fitness Mill, formerly housed in a converted mill in New York Mills, has reopened with a 32,000-square-foot gym in Utica.
The gym, at 1707 Oriskany St. West, is located in a newly built 47,800-square-foot building with several tenants whose businesses have both external doors and doors into the gym. That means gym members can work out, buy healthy food, get a haircut and have a drink, all in the same building.
“We all are like a little community,” owner Alex Carbone said. “So what we built is a destination for our members and the name of the building is called Live It Downtown.”
The gym opened on July 10, but some work continues on the building. The tenants have not all moved in yet.
Inside the gym, all the equipment sits in a huge, open, center space.
“It’s all brand-new flooring, brand new track,” said Carbone. “It’s got steam rooms, men’s and women’s steam rooms, brand-new men’s and women’s sauna. It’s got spa-inspired locker rooms. We added tanning. (It’s) big, wide open, one floor, handicapped accessible.”
The equipment, which is only 4 years old, was moved to the new gym, but it’s got more space in the new gym and is arranged by function, Carbone said. So the treadmills and other cardio equipment sit against one wall under a long line of ceiling-mounted televisions.
Strength equipment is separated into groups by the part of the body it sculpts.
Todd Cole, assistant coach of the Utica Blue Sox, was working out Monday morning. The whole team works out at the Fitness Mill when they’re in town, he said.
He admitted to some nostalgia for the former location.
“I like the mystique and character of the old gym,” said Cole, who lives outside Atlanta and builds houses outside baseball season.
But he admired the spaciousness and room to set out equipment in the new location.
“They do an incredible job,” he said. “They’re great people.”
Circling the equipment, classrooms and a separate area for jujitsu and power lifting runs a red, three-lane track; at 1/8 mile long, it’s twice as long as the track in the old gym.
That track is one of the five biggest differences members will notice, Carbone said.
“We’re really going to cater to the local schools and their athletes throughout the winter,” he said.
Here are the other four biggest differences for members, he said:
- The layout and floor plan, which includes the “perfect” placement of machines according to function, which helps with good flow in the gym.
- The convenience of the front desk just inside the front door with pre-workout supplements and energy drinks by the turnstile entrance to the gym and post-workout drinks, protein shakes and amino acids right by the exit.
- The automatic timers on the steam rooms and sauna, which keeps them running throughout the day so that members never have to wait for them to warm up.
- The 110 lockers per locker room, which give everyone plenty of room and have a woodgrain finish on durable plastic construction, giving the rooms a spa feel.
The new Fitness Mill also is offering special jujitsu memberships so participants can take classes and work out for one fee, Carbone said. There’s also a power-lifting seminar membership.
Building tenants include a second, smaller Peter’s Cornucopia, Gentleman’s Corner Barber Shop, Brand It Screen Printing, Cooperstown Connection, BE. Life (life coach and art gallery) and 16 Stone Bar and Pub.
“Our gym members will be able to access the tenant spaces from the gym and vice versa,” Carbone said. “We’re all going to try to help each other and feed off each other, along with creating excitement for consumers to come downtown.”
Fitness Mill memberships cost $29.95 a month for a silver plan and $39.95 a month for platinum. Find the Fitness Mill online at thefitnessmillny.com.
Amy Roth is the health and education reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Amy Roth at [email protected].
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