STAMFORD — A high-end fitness center offering weightlifting, Pilates, and boxing will open at the former Fairway Market site on Canal Street, occupying less than half of the building and leaving room for a possible grocery store.
V20 Group, a Darien-based real estate developer, confirmed last week that it signed a lease with Fitness International to bring a Club Studio gym to the location. The property, located at 699 Canal St., was purchased by V20 Group on July 30, 2024. Fitness International, which also owns LA Fitness, Esporta Fitness, City Sports Club, and XSport Fitness, did not respond to requests for comment.
According to Joe Vaccaro, a partner at V20 Group, Club Studio will take up about 37,000 square feet of the 84,000-square-foot building. “The gym will compete with the Equinoxes of the world,” Vaccaro said. He added that there is continued interest from grocery stores in the remaining space.
“We understand how important it is to bring retail back to this property,” Vaccaro said. “At the same time, we know the community wants a food establishment in this area of the city. We’re actively working on that.”
The Fairway Market building has been vacant since 2020.
As of Tuesday, there was no announced opening date for the Club Studio gym in Stamford. Membership pricing also has not been released. However, the company operates a location in South Windsor, northeast of Hartford, where standard monthly rates range from $159 to $249. The higher-tier plans offer guest passes and access to all Club Studio gyms nationwide, according to the company’s website.
Typical Club Studio locations feature a wide range of equipment, including free weights, Olympic lifting platforms, plate-loaded machines, and cardio equipment such as treadmills and stationary bikes. Some locations also include amenities like a lap pool and a full basketball court with an electronic scoreboard. Vaccaro noted that the Stamford site will likely not include a swimming pool.
Club Studio currently has locations in several states, including California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and New York.
The property is zoned SRD-N, or South End Redevelopment District North. According to city zoning laws, this designation supports the coordinated development of large-scale, mixed-use projects. The zoning also encourages the revitalization of former industrial sites in Stamford’s South End.
