How two brothers saw the potential in landmark buildings that had fallen into disrepair, betting on the strength of community and their commitment to members to achieve success.
Brothers Mike and Chris Ganim could be called visionaries. In 1991 they opened the first location of Harbor Fitness on 4th Street in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn in an old theatre. At the time, health clubs in the area were few and far between, but the Ganims managed to create what has become the area’s busiest and most popular club by offering a hands-on approach and cultivating a hard working, dedicated staff who love the club as much as the owners do.
In 1995, the Ganim brothers started thinking about opening a second location, and despite the opinions of dissenters who told them they were crazy, they turned their attention to an area of Brooklyn called Park Slope. In particular, the area they had in mind was known as the South Slope, which been plagued by an urban blight since the mid-1960’s. Guns and drugs were as easy to find on some corners as the $.99 cent stores the area was known for. One street in particular was especially notorious for crime, and this was exactly where Ganim brothers were looking to build the new location of Harbor Fitness. The corner of 15th Street and 5th Avenue was unique because of the mostly vacant 80,000 square foot building that once housed Germaine’s Department Store. During the 1980’s, the back of the building and the upper floors became a haven for squatters and most people would go out of their way to avoid the area.
So why were the Ganim brothers willing to take such an apparent risk and open a new health club here? Those who can trace their Park Slope roots even further back might remember when the area was filled with families, and teenagers could walk across Prospect Park to watch their beloved Brooklyn Dodgers play at Ebbets field. The area’s rich history, combined with the fact that the northern part of Park Slope was already a thriving community, led the Ganim brothers to decide to build their new location in the struggling area that was the closest to the booming northern section of Park Slope. “It’s logical to assume that an adjacent neighborhood will gentrify and revitalize,” says Mike Ganim. However, the area was still considered dangerous when the Ganims opened their 20,000 square foot health club in May of 2000.
When asked how they overcame the stigma of being a “bad neighborhood,” Ganim says it happened on its own as the area grew in demand and real estate prices began to spike in 2002. “I recall during our pre-sale how residents only a few blocks away told me we were ‘crazy to open up here’ and ‘nobody is ever going to come down 5th Avenue from 7th Avenue just to work out’ but plenty of those people have now been loyal members for years,” says Mike Ganim. Since then, the entire building has been completely occupied with the two floors above their club being converted into condominiums.
For club owners who are considering an expansion and are interested in locating an up and coming part of their community, Ganim says the most important thing is to know your area thoroughly. A demographic survey will give you basic information, but doesn’t paint the whole picture. If you don’t already live in the area in question, you need to spend plenty of time in the neighborhood getting to know the people you plan to serve. Also, go with your gut feeling. “If you’ve done the right research and truly believe in your new project, your chances for success are far greater,” says Mike Ganim. Finally, it helps when you open up long before the competition arrives. As Andrew Carnegie said, “The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.”
When asked about the challenges they faced, the Ganims mention the usual issues with finding space within the confines of the city, but they agree that the most important challenges occur on a daily basis. “There is never one defining moment that makes you a success. It’s the little details and problems that constantly arise and how you handle them that m
