Planet Fitness takes over last of Mervyn’s on West Shaw Avenue

A Planet Fitness gym is slated to open on West Shaw Avenue in Fresno, taking over the last piece of the Mervyn’s store that closed eight years ago.

Dick’s Sporting Goods took over most of the Mervyn’s, all but the 25,000-square-foot space that Planet Fitness will move into.

It’s one of four Planet Fitness locations getting ready to open in the Valley.

The West Shaw location is unusual in that it needs quite a bit of work to look like an actual business. Right now it’s just a plain wall with one house-sized door in it.

The spot will get an entirely new storefront, complete windows, columns, overhangs and architectural changes that will allow for a large neon sign to fit on the front of the building.

Planet Fitness hopes to have the gym open by late November.

The company is almost finished with its Madera location, at 313 W. Olive Ave. near the DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant.

Construction will start soon on another Planet Fitness on Blackstone Avenue near the HomeTown Buffet that is scheduled to open by Dec. 17.

Yet another is in the works for Visalia.

They will join two existing Planet Fitness locations in Fresno and one in Porterville.

The gym is known for its $10 a month, no-contract pricing and is geared toward average people instead of body builders. It will have 50 treadmills, 50 elliptical machines, 10 StairMasters, 10 stationary bikes, and weight-lifting equipment.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Planet Fitness takes over last of Mervyn’s on West Shaw Avenue."