By Mike Hazlip—
Demolition work inside the former Hometown Buffet at 7016 Sunrise Blvd. is almost complete, as part of the latest changes at the Copperwood Square shopping plaza in Citrus Heights.
Lynn Wilkinson, project superintendent for RCP Construction, told The Sentinel on Tuesday the current expansion project for Planet Fitness is expected to be completed in February or March of next year. Wilkinson said construction is planned in two phases, with the first phase slated to be completed by Christmas this year.
Planet Fitness plans to pause work for about a month in January, according to Wilkinson. The current gym space is also scheduled for a remodel once the new space is complete, he said.
The former Home Town Buffet space has remained vacant since the restaurant closed four years ago.
Dan Chiavario, principal/director of operations for Strategic Asset Management Group, which manages Copperwood Square, told The Sentinel last year that Planet Fitness had signed a new 12-year lease for the site, which includes expanding its current location in the center to include the former buffet location.
Chiavario said the fitness center has planned a complete remodel that will include a “Black Card” area, which typically offers additional amenities, such as massage chairs and discounts. He said the additions will make the gym “the nicest one in Citrus Heights.”
Planet Fitness spokesperson Becky Zirlen, told The Sentinel previously the timeline for planned improvements was pushed back because of the impacts of COVID-19. The New Hampshire-based fitness corporation has more than 2,000 locations and 14.4 million members globally, according to a news release on the company’s website.
In an email update last month, Chiavario said once construction is completed for Planet Fitness, there are plans to redo all of the monument signs, landscaping and parking lot. “We look forward to making Copperwood Square a premier, neighborhood shopping destination,” he said.
Other recent changes at the plaza include the opening of a Starbucks drive-thru earlier this year, as well as a recent lease extension for Dollar Tree and sales reportedly increasing by “a double digit percentage” at Foodmaxx, according to Chiavario.
