Blink Fitness, New York, has teamed with the Detroit Pistons to open its first Detroit location, one that will be inside of the NBA team's Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, the organizations announced on Sept. 13.
The 15,000-square-foot health club is slated to open in September 2019, with more Blink Fitness locations opening in Michigan throughout the year.
“We are proud to partner with Blink in opening its first location in the City of Detroit,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a media release. “Blink’s presence inside our performance center will make New Center an even more appealing place to live and work, and in turn will create more jobs and continue to help drive the momentum of additional investment in the area.”
Tom Shumaker, a Detroit-area native and new Blink Fitness franchisee, will be the owner-operator of the club.
Regional chain Plum Market is also opening a public grocery store and cafe inside the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center later this year.
“When I began evaluating the Blink investment opportunity, Detroit immediately came to mind as a natural market in which to begin," Schumaker said in the release. "There was a noticeable absence of truly affordable, high-quality fitness options. To be able to deliver this alongside community-focused partners like the Pistons, Henry Ford, and Plum/Zingerman’s is a truly special opportunity. I am so excited to be part of this project and to be contributing to economic growth and job creation in the region.”
In February, Blink Fitness announced a partnership with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who is from Saginaw, Michigan, to open at least 20 clubs in Michigan and Illinois. Market-wise, Green has expressed interest in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Ann Arbor as well as parts of the Chicagoland region.
In March, Blink Fitness opened its first franchisee-owned club in Long Island, New York.
Inc. recently named Blink Fitness as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States. It ranked No. 2,138 on the list.