A fitness center chain is building a new gym where Kadie the Cow formerly stood at 2925 Manchester Expressway.
The Planning Advisory Commission approved a rezoning request by Fitness Ventures, a franchisee of Crunch Fitness, to repurpose the former Best Buy during a Feb. 1 meeting. There are 16 Crunch locations in Georgia, two of which are owned by Fitness Ventures.
Kadie the Cow called the Manchester Expressway location home from 1967 to 2022 when the statue was moved to its new location on Bay Avenue in downtown Columbus. The site was initially home of the former Kinnett Dairies, one of the last independent dairies in the southeast before it was sold in 1998, before Best Buy was located there between 2003 and 2019.
Some of the services and features Crunch Fitness offers include group fitness and ride classes, personal trainers, hydro massages, tanning and babysitting services, said attorney Georgia Mize, who represented Fitness Ventures during the PAC meeting.
Crunch Fitness could have a positive impact on Columbus’ economy, Mize said. The construction of the center would increase business for the local construction industry, he said, and the center would create about 100 permanent jobs once open.
Mize informed the council that while he was sure when construction would begin at the property, which is adjacent to Peachtree Mall, he expects the renovation to take about six months to complete.
