Pictured is the outside of 834 Monroe Street, which will soon be home to Powerhaus Fitness Center. P-J file photo by Sara Holthouse

The co-owners of Powerhaus Fitness Factory have been continuing to work to turn a property on Monroe Street into a fitness center.

They’re getting a bit of help through a loan from the Jamestown Local Development Corporation. During the JLDC’s most recent meeting, Zachary Davis, Powerhaus Fitness Factory co-owner, discussed the project with JLDC members, who ended up approving a $200,000 loan at 4% interest over 10 years. The loan will help with the continuing renovations at 834 Monroe Street.

“We actually acquired this building back in July,” Davis said. “Since July we have done a demolition of the entire east side, gone through constructional engineers, architects, and fully redone everything inside the building.”

Davis said the main goal for the project is to bring a more modern take on a gym to Jamestown. The gym is located in an area that Davis said has been lacking in redevelopment, though he noted that the city recently cleared out some of the properties down there.

“It kind of brings an opportunity to the area to bring other small businesses down there,” Davis said. “Just because it really needs it; right now all you have is the scrap yard and then my business.”

Powerhaus Fitness will be a 24/7 self-access gym, including things such as free weights and saunas. As far as finances go, Davis said he has a business partner who owns two businesses in Niagara Falls. They were originally operating off of the finances from these two businesses, but Davis said a lot of businesses struggled this last winter, including those. While his business partner is working to rebuild and is doing well, Davis said they are asking for the loan to be able to start bringing in revenue from this business itself and to start building it up.

Tax documents from these other two businesses were provided to the JLDC as a part of the loan application, and Aili Makuch, city economic development coordinator, added that they were also asking the Southern Tier Economic Development Organization about some other potential funding for Davis. Right now the project needs just about $400,000 to get to completion.

“We’ve put in almost $600,000, including revenue we’ve put in since the New Year,” Davis said. “We initially when we first started the project we did estimates and kind of got an idea of what was going on, and it was much lower than that. But, unfortunately with some of these older buildings in Jamestown, things were not built to code.”

Davis said with prior administrations code was not always enforced as well, and upon demolition work it was discovered that the building had not been structured properly. This includes things like insulation and plumbing, things that Davis said could not be discovered until they got down to the bare bones, and this drastically increased the amount that they had to invest in the project.

Davis also discussed revenue projections with the JLDC. He said that there is no similar, large gym in the city, and this project would give people that option close by. Additionally, Davis said they have already seen excitement from the public about the project, with one of the highest social media followings for a Jamestown gym, with Powerhaus not even open yet. They have also decided to outsource.

“One of my biggest things was I didn’t want to make it so that it’s just like a giant money generator,” Davis said. “So, we actually incorporated other small businesses as well.”

Davis gave a few examples to the JLDC of other local small businesses that will be a part of the gym, saying the business will create a hub for revenue coming in while also helping to sustain other small businesses. The plan is to do events as well, and Davis added the annual fee will only be $35, compared to others that charge around $55.

Davis then discussed salaries and his plans to make sure the business is sustainable with the JLDC. Makuch added that if the loan were to be approved, the JLDC would look to run it more like a grant with the funds going to the contractors and not Davis’s construction company, as he is doing some of the work himself. The goal is for Powerhaus Fitness to open this fall.

It was mentioned that Davis also participated in the CDBG funded fast track program the city does in partnership with the Small Business Development Center, which recently had its fifth cohort graduate, with Davis graduating in the third. Other new projects and businesses that are planned to be going on and starting soon in that area of the city were also discussed.

“It’s definitely a passion project,” Davis said. “I believe in it. I think something to help motivate people to develop down there is seeing our thriving business down there. Right now, there’s only two places you can go in this direction for weight lifting or real gyms, and that’s Buffalo and Erie. We’re creating a middle point right here for bodybuilding, weight lifting competitions, bringing more traffic here.”

Davis added they would like to do community events as well, such as 5Ks and outside classes that would also help bring a better light to the area. Davis is also looking to put in a car deadlift, which he said will be the first permanent one in a commercial gym.

“I can’t lift it, but I look forward to seeing people try,” Davis said.

After talking about employees, parking, numbers, and car detailing that will be included as a part of the gym, along with security, the JLDC approved the loan for Powerhaus Fitness Factory. The loan will also have to go in front of the city council for approval because of the amount.