Pawtucket’s second Planet Fitness opens on Providence line

PAWTUCKET – Owners of nine Planet Fitness facilities in the region opened their 10th location last week in the Ocean State Job Lot Plaza off North Main Street on the Providence line.

The facility at 50 Ann Mary Way is the second Pawtucket location for the RISMA Fitness Group, said Planet Fitness franchisee Steve Eddleston, after the owners previously took over the location at 295 Armistice Blvd.

Eddleston said that a lot of time and effort went into making this new facility everything it should be. The national chain, known for its “Judgement Free Zone” and affordable prices, “keeps raising the bar” in how it looks and feels, he said.

A grand opening celebration last Friday featured the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket and Danni Allen, winner of “The Biggest Loser” in Season 14. Planet Fitness donated $500 to the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket.

The 18,000-square-foot new facility offers state-of-the-art cardio machines and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms with day lockers and showers, numerous flat screen televisions, HydroMassage beds, massage chairs and tanning. The club, like the one on Armistice Boulevard, will be open and staffed 24 hours five days a week and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The cost of joining Planet Fitness is $10 a month for a basic membership and $19.99 for a PF Black Card membership. Black Card members get access to the tanning booths, massage beds, and discounted drinks, among other perks, said Eddleston. Planet Fitness offers free fitness training to anyone, he said, a significant benefit.

The “no gymtimidation” motto at Planet Fitness continues to be a key selling point, said Eddleston. This place doesn’t “cater to the zealots,” he said, but the people who just want to work out in peace and comfort. The “lunk alarm” will sound if someone drops the weights, he said, but that person usually won’t make the same mistake twice.

Eddleston said he doesn’t see Planet Fitness as being in competition with the new LA Fitness or other fitness clubs nearby, as there is “plenty of room for all players.” Planet Fitness has its own business model that shouldn’t interfere with others, he said.

Eddleston said he’s been trying to get into this plaza for several years, but the move only became feasible recently. He said he loves the area, as this is “the heart of Rhode Island.” North Main Street offers easy access to the highway, he said, something gym members love, and there’s plenty of parking at the new gym.

The whole Ocean State Job Lot Plaza “has really come to life over the last 12 months,” said Eddleston, with many new tenants moving in. The new Planet Fitness location opened just before Christmas and has had “a very strong response” so far, he said.

The RISMA Fitness Group has seven locations in Rhode Island, including ones in Providence, Smithfield, Johnston, Warwick and North Kingstown, and three in Massachusetts, including ones in Fall River, Seekonk and Dartmouth.

The owners took over the Armistice Boulevard location because they want to provide a consistently “high value experience” for local members, said Eddleston.