A longtime Colorado Springs fitness center is shutting down one of its two locations, citing a financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accolade Fitness announced on its Facebook page that its gym at 1785 S. 8th St. on the west side will close Sunday; that facility will be consolidated with Accolade’s location at 4390 Arrowswest Drive in northwest Colorado Springs, which will remain open.
“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unsound economic environment for our business,” Accolade owner Duane Johnston posted on Facebook. “We have been struggling for the past few months to operate two formerly thriving gyms.
“By reducing our overhead costs into one gym only, we are confident that we can once again flourish and offer our members and guests the gym/fitness environment that they deserve,” he said.
Johnston, who launched Accolade in March 2009, and other company officials couldn’t be reached for additional comment.
The closing of Accolade’s west side location comes as El Paso County moved Friday to a stricter set of capacity restrictions for several businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Gyms and fitness centers that had been operating at 25% capacity or 50 people now are limited to 25% capacity and 25 people indoors, or groups of less than 10 outdoors.
Accolade’s website and Facebook page lay out options for members seeking refunds or who want to transfer to the Arrowswest facility. The business also plans an auction of fitness equipment Dec. 2 at the 8th Street location.
Accolade joins other fitness centers and gyms that have closed locations this year in Colorado Springs, also citing financial troubles because of the pandemic.
Gold’s Gym, based in Dallas, closed three Springs-area locations in April. In June, 24 Hour Fitness shuttered a northern Colorado Springs facility after the California-based chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
