Layoffs Planned As LA Fitness To Buy Lifestyle Family Fitness

Lifestyle Family Fitness gym members in Sarasota will soon see a new name at their local workout center — or perhaps see it closed. 

Rival LA Fitness will purchase the St. Petesrburg-based Lifestyle Family Fitness, reports fitness trade publication Club Industry, which obtained a letter from Lifestyle's chief executive distributed to employees about the purchase:

“In the months that followed [the exiting of the northern markets], we evaluated our option to remain an independent company or sell to a larger organization,” Lasher wrote in the letter. “We took into consideration what would be in the best [interest] for all three constituents: our team members, members and shareholders. After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has made the decision to sell all of the Lifestyle Family Fitness clubs in Florida to LA Fitness.”

Lifestyle Family Fitness also filed a layoff notice with the state Department of Economic Opportunity that 94 employees will lose their jobs from Aug. 16 and Dec. 31, The Tampa Bay Times reports.

What does this mean for Sarasota? LA Fitness is building a 40,000 square foot gym and selling memberships at 4031 Cattleman Road, near Bee Ridge Road and Interstate 75. That location is expected to open this summer, according to the club's Facebook page.

Lifestlye Family Fitness has two locations in Sarasota at and in .

Lifestyle and LA Fitness has not released information about the sale as well as the layoffs or potential closures.