A national gym chain will move into the former Kroger building at Powers Ferry Road and Delk Road after the Marietta City Council cleared the last regulatory hurdle on July 9.
The council voted 7-0 to approve variances requested by property owner Habersham Partners LLC, paving the way for EoS Fitness to take over the 4.8-acre site that has sat empty since the grocery store relocated up the street nearly three years ago.
The variances reduce a required 40-foot buffer behind the building and allow additional parking spaces between landscaping islands. The vote came after little discussion, according to East Cobb News reporter Wendy Parker.
No rezoning was needed. The site's existing community retail commercial (CRC) zoning already permits fitness centers, so the variances were the only council action required before EoS can begin what the company describes as major renovations.
Years of deterioration at the site
The approval ends a long stretch of decline at the intersection. Marietta planning officials noted erosion on the property in their variance application materials, and the site has drawn code enforcement complaints for trash, debris, outdoor storage, and graffiti.
Residents had warned this would happen. When the council unanimously approved a five-story, 322-unit apartment complex for the same parcel in 2023, supporters argued the site would fall into disrepair without redevelopment. Mayor Steve "Thunder" Tumlin vetoed that project in April 2023, and the property sat idle until Habersham Partners brought the EoS proposal forward.
What EoS brings
EoS Fitness is a gym chain with memberships starting at $9.99 per month. The company announced in November 2024 that it plans to open more than 50 Georgia locations over the next decade, with each new gym representing roughly a $10 million investment and 40 to 60 jobs. The company says its Atlanta-area locations will average 40,000 to 50,000 square feet.
"Atlanta is the third fastest growing metropolitan area in the US, and venturing here represents a key milestone in our long-term vision for EoS," CEO Rich Drengberg said in the company's November 2024 expansion announcement.
What comes next
No opening timeline or construction start date has been publicly announced for the Powers Ferry Road location. As of Thursday, July 16, EoS's official coming-soon page lists three other Georgia gyms slated for 2027 but does not yet include this site. The building will require major renovations before the gym can open.
