Wembley Park is set to expand its retail offering after award-winning developer Quintain signed leases on five new spaces – including one that will soon be home to a 30,000ft² “super gym”.
EQL Fitness, as the company will soon be known following a rebrand from its original name ‘3M Fitness’, already operates CrossFit Putney and is now set to significantly enhance its gym offering with the launch of a 29,187ft² facility in Wembley Park.
The new “super gym”, which will open onto Union Park – the neighbourhood’s first major new green space in decades – will feature a fully-fledged CrossFit studio on the lower-ground floor, which will also serve as an events space to be utilised by fitness brands and partners. The upper-ground floor will be home to a diverse range of gym equipment and spaces, including treadmills, free weights, a spin studio, a yoga room, a space with sauna and steam room and changing facilities.
EQL Fitness will be joined by a new Pilates concept El Estudio, which is set to take 1,970ft², as well a bike repair shop Fix Your Cycle will take 1,389ft². In addition, Quintain Living – which manages what will be the single-largest Build-to-Rent site in the UK – has signed a lease with Out of Office Coffee in its flagship Canada Gardens development.
Michael Thoburn, Co-founder of EQL Fitness, said: “Wembley Park is an iconic sporting destination, so, as a fitness business it felt like an unmissable opportunity to grow our business among other brilliant retail, leisure and lifestyle brands. With Wembley Park’s thousands of residents and workers, we can’t wait to grow our fitness community and become part of the fabric of one of London’s most exciting neighbourhoods.”
Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “Wembley Park has kicked off the New Year with an even more vibrant offering for the thousands of people who live and work here, as well as the 1.2 million who live within 20 minutes of the destination and the millions more who visit every year. In addition to EQL Fitness new super gym, we have signed leases with 15 new brands in less than two years. Moreover, we have opened two new public spaces, including the Olympic Steps – the stunning new doorstep to the National Stadium which is also a culture and events space – and the first section of Union Park, a seven-acre green space in our 85-acre neighbourhood. These new developments further build on our reputation as one of London’s most exciting retail and leisure destinations, bringing together independents and big-name brands, from local family businesses to even hosting the UK’s second Amazon Fresh.”
Wembley Park recently announced that twice Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar will open his latest restaurant concept in the neighbourhood, at the foot of Wembley Stadium and the Olympic Steps. Quintain has also signed leases on a second Black Sheep Coffee following the trading success of its first store near Wembley Park Underground Station, as well as The Grocery Store, an organic produce specialist. London Designer Outlet has welcomed Byron Burgers and Lyle & Scott, as well as revealing that Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein are to upsize and take permanent stores in the capital’s leading premium fashion and lifestyle outlet centre.
