CrossFit gym to relocate in Fayetteville

A CrossFit gym is moving into a vacant commercial development on College Avenue in Fayetteville.

CrossFit Commence has purchased an 8,960-square-foot building at 1764-1766 N. College Ave., a former Binswanger Glass retail location. It closed in fall 2014.

The CrossFit gym, owned by Jody and Jessica Hendrix and Mark Ridgeway, will move from 5,500 square feet of leased space at 1822 N. Crossover Road. Jody Hendrix said the target opening date of the College Avenue location is between Christmas and the New Year.

Hendrix bought the College Avenue site from Mel Collier in July for $575,000. Collier, owner of Fayetteville-based Collier Drug Stores Inc., bought the property in July 2015 for $550,000 with an idea of relocating another of his businesses, University Auto & Tire Inc., an auto repair business at 614 N. College Ave. Collier said the city denied that plan for ecological reasons — there’s a wet-weather creek behind the building, not on the property — so he was in the market for a buyer.

The property has an additional 3,200-square-foot building, but Hendrix said there are no plans for that structure.

“It’s more space than we need, but I would rather own than rent,” said Hendrix, a co-owner and executive broker of Keller Williams Market Pro Realty in Fayetteville. “We’re excited.”

CrossFit Commence was launched in 2013 and has about 175 “core” members, Hendrix said. He and his wife partnered with Ridgeway, who previously owned Catalyst Strength & Conditioning in Fayetteville, to buy the business in 2014.