Gym chain closes locations, transfers members to other gyms

Zone Athletic Club closes three locations in the past year, transferring memberships to nearby gyms without members' consent

Feb. 2, 2026 at 8:07pm

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Zone Athletic Club, a gym chain in Colorado, has closed three of its locations in the past year, often transferring members' memberships to nearby gyms without their knowledge or consent. The sudden closures and membership transfers have left many members frustrated, as they were unaware of the fine print in their contracts that allowed Zone to make these transfers.

Why it matters

The sudden closures and membership transfers by Zone Athletic Club highlight the potential risks and lack of transparency in the gym industry, where members may be unaware of the terms in their contracts that allow for such actions. This raises concerns about consumer protection and the need for clearer policies and regulations to ensure gym members are treated fairly.

The details

Zone Athletic Club has closed three of its locations in the past year, including its final location at Southlands in Aurora, Colorado. In each case, the gym has transferred members' memberships to nearby gyms, such as the YMCA or Crunch Fitness, without the members' consent. Many members were unaware of the fine print in their contracts that allowed Zone to make these transfers, and they have faced difficulties in cancelling their memberships or obtaining refunds.

  • In March 2023, Zone's Fort Collins location was seized by the state government for unpaid taxes and suddenly shuttered.
  • Around Thanksgiving 2023, members of Zone's Cherry Creek location were notified that the gym would be temporarily moving for renovations, before being informed it was closing and their memberships were being transferred to the Jewish Community Center in Glendale.
  • In late January 2026, Zone's final location at Southlands in Aurora closed with just two days' notice, and members were told their memberships had been transferred to a nearby YMCA.

The players

Zone Athletic Club

A gym chain in Colorado that has closed three of its locations in the past year, often transferring members' memberships to nearby gyms without their knowledge or consent.

Chad Hoffman

A member of Zone Athletic Club's Southlands location who was notified of the gym's closure just two days before it happened and was told his membership had been transferred to the YMCA.

Tiffany McEwan

A member of Zone Athletic Club's Southlands location who was also notified of the gym's closure just two days before it happened and was told her membership had been transferred to the YMCA.

Brad Banker

The chief operating officer of Zone Athletic Clubs, who defended the company's practice of transferring memberships to nearby gyms when locations close, stating that this is a common practice in the gym industry.

Bruce Banker

The founder of Zone Athletic Clubs, who also owned a number of Prestige Fitness locations across the Denver metro area, which have faced similar issues with unpaid rent and lawsuits.

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What they’re saying

“We've been working with our landlord there for a long time. But, you know, with a lot of these landlords, you know, they never forgave our rent during COVID. So, you know, we had back rent there, we got it, you know, deferred, but never forgiven.”

— Brad Banker, Chief Operating Officer, Zone Athletic Clubs

“I get that businesses closed down all the time, but don't take advantage of the people who kept you in business for all these years.”

— Tiffany McEwan

“People in the gym industry do this all the time. We've bought and sold, you know, numerous membership bases. We in the gym industry try to help each other out with, you know, keeping these, you know, selling of the membership base. That's all.”

— Brad Banker, Chief Operating Officer, Zone Athletic Clubs

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Zone Athletic Club to continue operating or if the company will be required to fully vacate the Southlands location.

The takeaway

This case highlights the lack of transparency and consumer protections in the gym industry, where members can be unaware of the fine print in their contracts that allows gyms to suddenly close locations and transfer memberships without consent. It raises questions about the need for clearer regulations to ensure gym members are treated fairly when faced with unexpected closures.