Genesis Health Clubs will close three area fitness centers

Two weeks after taking over the eight area 24 Hour Fitness Clubs, Genesis Health Clubs plans to close three area locations.

The clubs set to close at 3 p.m. Saturday are the former 24 Hour Fitness Clubs at 7420 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park and 301 N.E. Englewood Road in the Northland, as well as a former Gold’s Gym at 15274 W. 119th St. in Olathe.

Club members, including those who previously had single club access, will be given access to all of the Genesis Health Clubs in the Kansas City area with no increase in their monthly dues — with the exception of Metcalf Super Sport and the Premier club at 12075 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park.

Wichita-based Genesis plans to move the employees to jobs at other clubs.

After evaluating the club options in Kansas City, owner Rodney Steven II said he decided to close the three clubs because they had fewer amenities than other locations, such as its Kid’s Club, pools, basketball courts, saunas and steam rooms.

Genesis usually owns the buildings that house its clubs so it can continually invest in the sites. But the buildings housing the three clubs were either not for sale or Steven couldn’t sign a long-term lease.

Genesis was founded 30 years ago with a club in Wichita, which Steven bought in 1994. In late April this year, he bought the four corporate-owned Gold’s Gyms in the Kansas City area — two in the Northland, one in Lee’s Summit and the one in Olathe — bringing his total to 25 clubs in Kansas and Missouri.

With the addition of the eight area 24 Hour Fitness Centers — as well as 11 locations in the St. Louis area, Nebraska and Oklahoma — in mid-June, he had 44 locations.

While that will drop to 41 after Saturday’s closings, Steven said he is looking at area sites for expansion.

Genesis took over the 105,000-square-foot Midtown Athletic Club in Overland Park at 6700 W. 110th St. near Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue more than a year ago and also plans to remodel and expand it to 130,000 square feet for its area flagship fitness center. Construction is scheduled to begin in October and take about a year. The club will remain open during the remodeling.

This story was originally published June 30, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Genesis Health Clubs will close three area fitness centers."