Iron Tribe Fitness has secured a site for a second Baton Rouge location, recently closing on a deal to purchase land on Perkins Road, between Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard.
Plans call for building a 4,000-square-foot fitness club on the site—located near Southside Produce—with construction estimated to wrap in summer 2020. Designed by Ritter Maher Architects, the new digs will feature a different layout than the chain’s existing Mid City location, with design elements inspired by member feedback.
Local franchise owner Hayden Clark says the need for a second facility arose about six months ago, when membership at the current location began hovering near the 300-mark, exceeding the allowable capacity of the Birmingham-based franchise.
“This will give us more of an opportunity to reach people in south Baton Rouge,” says Clark, adding he plans to ultimately add a third location, either in downtown Baton Rouge or Ascension Parish.
Bill Sanders of Beau Box Commercial Real Estate, who represented the buyer in the deal that closed last week, says he and Clark evaluated multiple lease and purchase options, but ultimately decided it made more sense to buy land and build exactly what Clark wanted.
“The demographics are strong and it’s right next to the Health District,” says Sanders, “which makes it a great fit as Iron Tribe expands its reach in the community.”
Michael Pou of Talbot Realty in New Orleans represented the sellers in the deal.
The fitness chain—which has 34 locations throughout the U.S., according to its website—came to Baton Rouge a few years ago, opening in a standalone building on South Acadian Thruway between St. Joseph’s Academy and Catholic High.
Offering high-intensity interval training (HIIT), the chain’s approach involves members attending three, 45-minute sessions weekly and receiving both one-on-one coaching and group fitness, with class sizes limited to 20 participants.
Its upcoming local expansion comes at a time when boutique fitness clubs are on the rise in Baton Rouge, capitalizing on the kind of “experiential retail” industry experts say is essential today.
