Fitness SF buys Lombardi Sports, ending storefront’s empty decade

Fitness SF, a popular San Francisco gym chain, will open its ninth location on the edge of Russian Hill after buying the long-vacant Lombardi Sports building at Polk and Jackson streets.

The building had been an eyesore for years, both for residents and businesses, and attracted drug users to the area, observers said.

Early plans for the two-floor gym feature expanded facilities for free weights and strength equipment, plus a recovery area with massage chairs and cryotherapy lounges, according to Fitness SF President Zsolt Jackovics. The locker rooms will have an infrared sauna and red light therapy. The gym will have two workout studios: Studio Escape will offer yoga and Pilates classes, while Studio Energy will offer Zumba, Bodypump, and Bootcamp.

There will be 60 parking spaces for cars and secured parking for bikes and scooters, with pumps, repair supplies, and charging. The plans also include roughly 2,000 square feet of co-working space and a dog lounge. Unlike Fitness SF’s SoMa location, there will be no cafe since there are several restaurants on Polk Street, Jackovics said.

The fitness chain signed a deal to buy the building in September and expects to close by June or July, according to Jackovics. He declined to share the sale price but said previous owner Rob Isackson wanted around $25 million.