ST. PAUL, MN -- Life Time Fitness is closing group exercises classes at its club in downtown St. Paul, MN, as a result of declining membership and club usage.

The information came in an internal memo sent to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. As a result of the decline, according to the memo, Life Time is looking to reduce its downtown square footage and convert it to an express club next year as well as reduce massage and personal training services there, the newspaper reported.

Jason Thunstrom, Life Time spokesperson, told the newspaper that Life Time’s lease in downtown St. Paul’s University Club expires next summer. He did not provide details as to what the Chanhassen, MN-based company seeks in lease negotiations with the building’s owner.

“It’s fair to say we’d like to continue serving members in and around the St. Paul area as we do today, but it’s too early for me to say whether we’ll reside at that location or not,” Thunstrom told the newspaper. “I think we need to continue to have these negotiations take place.”

In its third quarter earnings report announced last month, Life Time said memberships increased 6 percent to 590,716 as of Sept. 30, from 557,164 at the same time last year. However, Life Time lost about 18,000 members from the previous quarter.

Life Time opened the downtown club in 1997 after renovating space in the former St. Paul Athletic Club for an estimated $1.5 million, according to the newspaper, which also reported that Life Time received loans from the city of St. Paul for a portion of the financing that included $700,000 worth of equipment.

Ironically, Life Time is holding a grand opening ceremony Friday night at its Highland Park club in St. Paul. The club has undergone a $1 million renovation and a 15,000-square-foot expansion, including new cycle, yoga and Pilates studios, a new advanced training area, new men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a new expanded child activity center.

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