Lansdowne Fitness Club Changes Hands

Fewer than a dozen weeks after its with great fanfare with radio personalities and local elected officials, Bally's Sports Club at Lansdowne Station Shopping Center has changed hands.

Members were surprised to receive an email informing them that effective Dec. 1, they now belong to LA Fitness.

On Nov. 18, the privately held company that owns the Bally Total Fitness chain announced the sale of 171 location--about 63 percent of all clubs--to the parent company of LA Fitness in a deal reportedly worth $153 million.

Bally indicated that the company will continue to operate 100 fitness clubs in key markets, including New York, San Francisco, Houston and Denver.

The deal affects a dozen fitness clubs in Maryland, including locations at 3551 Washington Boulevard in Lansdowne, 6516 Baltimore National Pike in Catonsville, 1 East Joppa Road Towson, 6629 Ritchie Highway Glen Burnie, 8221 Town Center Drive in White Marsh, and 2323 Northpoint Boulevard in Notrthpoint.

Not all members were pleased with the news.

"So far we've gotten no info about what the change will mean," one member wrote to Arbutus Patch. "I'm curious about why this brand new place is already being changed."

Brian Bailey, president of Lansdowne Improvement Association, said that the change in ownership should not have an affect so long as the policies and services of the facility remain the same.

"As long as the new owners operate with the same sense of excellent customer service Lansdowne residents have become accustomed to with Bally's, we have no issue with the change in ownership," Bailey said. "We are pleased to have a full service gym in lower southwest Baltimore County dedicated to helping our residents reach their health potential"