A closed Binghamton gym has reopened under new ownership

Posted by author October 3, 2024 Fitness

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On a cloudy October morning, government officials joined the owners of a new Upper Front Street gym in front of a crowd of joyous family and friends — all under the gaze of a familiar dinosaur.

BC Fit, located at 1247 Upper Front St., celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting following a press conference on Wednesday morning.

BC Fit is managed by a team including the grandchildren of Johnny Hart, the late creator of the B.C. comic strip and Wizard of Id, who have since worked on the strips and continued their grandfather’s legacy — giving the gym its logo.

More: From comic illustrations to fitness aspirations: Inside Upper Front Street’s newest gym

Prior to BC Fit, Anytime Fitness, an international 24-hour gym franchise with over 5,000 locations worldwide occupied the location. When Mason and Tom heard the previous owner would have to sell and close the location, they teamed up and purchased the assets for the gym.

According to the team, the transition from Anytime Fitness to BC Fit was startlingly fast — Anytime Fitness closed on May 31, and BC Fit opened the very next day.

“We know that when people come to the gym, not only do they get fit, but they connect with other community members,” State Senator Lea Webb said Wednesday. “I was told that you all have such a close knit community here that people often know when someone hasn’t been to the gym — and that sense of belonging and being seen sometimes can be overstated or overlooked. Really having that connection and community that people look out for you is important, and we need more of that.”