A newly revamped gym has opened up at Ortongate Shopping Centre in Peterborough filling the gap left by recent closures in the area.
Ortongate Fitness opened on Saturday, June 14, as shopping centre bosses declared "the wait for a new facility is over”, with some 500 members already signed up at the new fitness centre.
Excitement for the opening had been growing since the initial announcement for the venture was made on Friday, May 23.
Dovile Adomaviciute, club manager, said:
“The response to the gym opening over the weekend has been tremendous. I’ve been committed to health and fitness in our local community for seven years and I’m thrilled and excited to continue my journey with Ortongate Fitness.”
Ortongate Fitness, located in Orton Goldhay, is an independently owned gym. The gym is close to 7000 sq ft building has been completely refurbished following a £150k investment, which includes the installation of high-end equipment and an extensive class timetable has been scheduled in a range of specialisms.
The air-conditioned gym includes a wide range of cardio equipment, resistance machines and a large area with a range of free weights.
In addition, a boxing punchbag, squat racks, spin bikes and a separate studio space has been created. The timetable of classes ranges from bootcamp and kickboxercise, to strength and conditioning, spin and ‘ladies that lift’ sessions. The site also has free parking which is a huge plus for its members.
Dovile said:
“The gym’s team, its owners and landlord share my passion for physical fitness and community health. Bringing a gym back to the centre maintains and builds that community and strengthens mental health through activity and support.”
Equipment and classes have been tailored to suit a variety of lifestyles and exercise needs.
Rob Cassidy, managing director at Cassco Holdings Limited, which owns Ortongate Shopping Centre, said:
“The opening is great news for the centre and the local community. Getting this service back, especially with so many local closures, puts the heart back into the shopping centre.”
The new gym continues the success story of the revamped Peterborough shopping centre. Now close to full occupancy, just two retail units remain available to rent – one of which could be divided into four individual spaces should occupiers require smaller units.
The shopping centre’s rise began when previous owner ALB Group took over the site in April 2023. At the time, it was barely half full. Investment and refurbishment from the team at ALB Group brought in more shoppers and traders alike as occupancy surged.
The group then sold the centre to Cassco Holdings Ltd.
The Nottingham-based company owns several retail and industrial sites around the country and bought Ortongate Shopping Centre in September 2024. A schedule of refurbishment of the retail units followed along with upgrades to the shop frontages and the communal areas.
Investment and support for local community events and a series of charitable donations have also been made.
Rob, 60, said: “As a family firm, building community is incredibly important to us. The opening of Ortongate Fitness is another piece in the jigsaw of rebuilding and maintaining the fantastic community spirit that exists at Ortongate and the surrounding area. We will continue to support its growth and build upon its thriving community spirit.”
