Cheshire Fitness Club set to become Black Mountain YMCA

Swannanoa Valley residents won’t have to travel far to get to a YMCA this fall.   

Cheshire Fitness Club will become the Black Mountain YMCA on Sept. 4 after the facility was sold to the YMCA of Western North Carolina, according to a release from the organization on July 9.

Cheshire Fitness owners Larry Brank, Dave Wilks and Stephanie Hayes opened the 18,000-square-foot fitness center in 2004. According to the release from the YMCA, Hayes said the owners “decided to transition out of the business and place it in the capable hands of the YMCA.”

The organization believes the the purchase will allow it to “better serve the residents of Black Mountain, the Swannanoa Valley and Old Fort,” chairman of the YMCA of WNC board of directors Charles Frederick said in the release.

Cheshire Fitness, which includes an indoor pool, exercise studio and racquetball court, currently serves around 1,400 members. Clients will be automatically enrolled as Black Mountain YMCA members when the change goes into effect.