Portland, Maine, Gym Set to Close After 45 Years in Business

The hard truth is that businesses come and go throughout Maine. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 35% of businesses in Maine make it to the 10-year mark.

So when a business can survive and thrive for 20, 30 and even 40 years, you can be reasonably certain that they've been doing something right.

That has been the case for Bay Club Fitness located at One City Center in Portland, Maine. The high-end gym has been operating in the city for 45 years as a place to workout for busy professionals.

But rather shockingly, it won't be around much longer.

The Bay Club in Portland, Maine, Will Close Permanently Over a Lease Dispute

According to the Portland Press Herald, Bay Club Fitness has made the difficult decision to close the business permanently rather than attempt to move it to a different location.

A lease dispute between the Bay Club and the management company that runs One City Center led to the decision.

The Bay Club will continue to operate as normal until their final day of operations which is scheduled for Monday, June 1.

The Bay Club does appear to be open to renegotiations with One City Center if something could be worked out.

Bay Club Fitness is The Second Prominent Gym to Close in Portland, Maine, Recently

For the regular visitors to the Bay Club, the closure is going to sting and interrupt their regular routine. But it also brings into focus the viability of gyms in Portland, Maine.

In 2023, World Gym shocked their regular customers by abruptly closing their longtime Portland location.

With rising rents and labor costs in Portland, locally-owned gyms will struggle to stay afloat.