Ryan Mourer, code enforcement manager for the city of Dunkirk, said Planet Fitness gym is targeting Dec. 31 as the opening date for its new location, the former Brand Sales Building. Photo by Braden Carmen
If all goes as planned, residents of northern Chautauqua County will have a new fitness center to visit to achieve their New Year’s resolutions: to get in shape.
Planet Fitness is targeting a Dec. 31 opening date for a new location in the city of Dunkirk in the former Brand Names Sales building.
“Planet Fitness is the hot topic right now” said Ryan Mourer, the city’s code enforcement manager, at a recent Dunkirk City Council meeting.
Mourer noted that the company has several permits regarding the location. Multiple contractors work on site, rather than using a single general contractor as many businesses choose to do. The site also looked at asbestos abatement.
Planet Fitness representatives hope to appear before the city council at a meeting before the Dec. 31 target date. “They will come before us in a month or two, they hope next month,” » said Mourer.
One issue the business still faces is signage, which Mourer said is a problem for many businesses in town. Planet Fitness wants to post more signage than city code as currently written allows.“The signage laws we have in place do not meet our needs, based on current standards” » said Mourer. “Ninety percent of the businesses that appear in front of the city have the same problem. »
Mourer cited Five Below, which was recently allowed by the city to open after a final inspection, as a business that also requested additional signage. Benderson Development also made improvements to the nearby Five Below location in hopes of attracting another business, which Mourer learned there was interest in. Five Below, located on Vineyard Drive, is expected to officially open its doors to the public on Friday.
Two other city-approved businesses, however, have not made much progress since the site plan was approved.
The city was informed that the Starbucks coffee shop, approved in August to take over the AT&T building in the Tops Market plaza on Vineyard Drive, would not open until the end of the year. The site is targeting spring 2024 as the deadline for work to begin.
“They will wait until spring, perhaps April, before starting the work, according to the last message that was given to me and which surprised me a little,” » said Mourer.
Mourer also said the city has not heard from the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant, located in the Dunkirk Movieplex plaza, which was approved in May. At the time of approval, Municipal Supervisor Juan Pagan said: “Remember that you are in the City of Dunkirk. If you need anything, notify the City of Dunkirk.
