Anytime Fitness, Skin, Ski & Surf in $4m CBD building makeover

A Melbourne-based property manager is performing open heart surgery on one of the city heart’s worst eyesores to bring it back to live.

A MELBOURNE-based property manager is performing open heart surgery on one of the city heart’s worst eyesores to bring it back to live.

More than $4 million will be spent upgrading and fitting out the old Dimmeys arcade property which comprises more than 6000 square metres of retail space fronting Flinders and Sturt streets, much of which has been boarded up for a decade.

It follows agreements with two key incoming tenants — Anytime Fitness and Skin, Ski & Surf — and another potential tenant, an international food and hospitality retailer who is yet to be revealed.

They will join existing tenants Chemist Warehouse and Hazel Mai.

Property agency Colliers Townsville is assisting National Retail Group which is acting on behalf of the property’s owners to inject $3 million into a complete refurbishment.

Anytime Fitness is investing a further $1m into the fit-out and equipment required to relocate from City Arcade in Sturt St into a much larger gym based on the former Woolworths supermarket site, also in Sturt St.

NRG director Michael Spektor said they wanted to work with the community and the council to reinvigorate the property and the CBD.

“At NRG, we always adopt a collaborative approach with the council and local community, and we remain committed to working together to revitalise the iconic Townsville CBD,” Mr Spektor said.

“We are determined to stop the exodus of retailers leaving the CBD and look forward to continuing the revival of this precinct.”

NRG has appointed builders AMS Constructions to undertake the refurbishment. Demolition of interior structures has begun.

Mr Spektor said about 50 local jobs would be created in construction and fit-out and about 65 per cent of the floor space had been pre-leased.

Anytime Fitness franchisee Troy Cooper said inquiries by visiting Super Rugby team, The Chiefs, for use of its gym this week highlighted the need for more space.

They are looking to host two sessions for half the team at each time.

“We have been looking for bigger premises and wanted to be close to where we are. This development is perfect for us,” Mr Cooper said.

At more than 900 sqm, the new gym will be the biggest Anytime Fitness facility in Queensland outside Brisbane. As part of the upgrade, new equipment with Netflix-enabled screens will be installed.

New tenants Skin, Ski & Surf operator Marvin Baumeister (left) and Anytime Fitness northern franchisee Troy Cooper (right) with Colliers associate director Neville Smith (second left) and National Retail Group director Michael Spektor outside the Flinders St building which will be redeveloped.

Skin, Ski & Surf is relocating from its current shop in Flinders St into a larger 500 sqm site with extra ceiling height to rebrand and expand its offer.

They will add photography, videography and social media management to skate boards, water sports equipment, fashion, streetwear and electric scooters and skateboards.

“It’s going to be a retail experience space where we will have an indoor skate park. We want to have a feel of a very open space,” Skin, Ski & Surf operator Marvin Baumeister said

Mr Spektor said they would like to see not-for-profit and community groups use public space inside the building.

They also wanted to commission artists and community creatives to produce a mural.

He said the shopfronts along Flinders St would all be reactivated and facades along Flinders and Sturt streets refreshed.

This would address a longstanding community concern, further enhance the infrastructure works of the council and reinvigorate an important thoroughfare, Mr Spektor said.

They planned for tenant fit-outs to start in August for openings to occur in September.

Originally published as Anytime Fitness, Skin, Ski & Surf in $4m CBD building makeover