Feb 18, 2014 3 min read

Veltri Fitness is bidding adieu to Washington Crown Center – and to the athletic club industry for now.

Hilary Veltri, co-owner with her husband Matt, posted on the club’s Facebook page that it will cease operations at 10 p.m. Friday. That will be the end of the business day, the end of a 18-month stay at the mall and the end of Veltri Fitness’ 13-year existence.

“We’ve had a great run,” she said Tuesday. “It’s sad to see eveything go.”

Veltri said she received notice shortly after Christmas that the fitness center, a tenant at Crown Center, would have to close within 60 days “because the mall needs space for retail.” Crown Center is owned by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which is based in Philadelphia.

Mike Joyce, general manager of the North Franklin Township facility, could not be reached for comment.

Hilary Veltri said she and her husband aren’t upset. “Matt is a big believer in things happen for a reason.”

But they’re not happy – especially with the timing. She said the club, with about 300 members, had two years remaining on its lease, and January, February and March are typically a busy – and financially bountiful – season for them.

Instead, they’ve been preparing to close.

“From a business standpoint, I understand this decision because they can get more money from retail,” she said, referring to the mall. “I can’t necessarily blame them, but they put us in a really bad place. We’re not working with a lot of time to find a new space.

“But we don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s not better to be bitter.”

Hilary said she has been primarily responsible for club operations over the past year, since Matt accepted a full-time job as a pipeline inspector.

Veltri Fitness is across from the new Marshall’s store and has 8,500 square feet, much larger than its two previous incarnations on Jefferson Avenue in Washington. One was in the Goodwill store at the intersection with Beau Street, which was torn down and replaced by the current and more modern Goodwill.

The business was once known as Sierce Fitness.

Hilary said she and Matt have discussed opening a smaller training facility without memberships. “We’ve also offered personal training for a number of years.”

Club memberships, she said, mostly run month to month, but some are for three months. She said her club worked out a deal with the George Washington hotel fitness center to accept Veltri members until their terms expire.

Veltri Fitness did pick up some former members of Alexander’s Athletic Club, which closed in North Strabane Township in August. Hilary said senior members from the Silver Sneakers program at Alexander’s were to come to her center, “but we never got to start that.”

The Veltris are Trinity High graduates, but they met at their fitness center and have been married for a year. “That place is matchmaking central,” Hilary said, laughing. “Other couples have met there.

“We’re happy with what the gym has given us. It’s provided a life for me and my husband. This is where we met.

“We didn’t fail at it. It’s just time to move on.”