Bay Club Puts Millions Toward California Expansion

With a $65 million acquisition in San Francisco and $25 million worth of club upgrades in Southern California, Bay Club is strengthening its position on the West Coast

The Bay Club Company has reaffirmed its commitment to the California fitness and wellness market with a pair of recent investment moves in the state.

The luxury operator has acquired the entire city block where its flagship San Francisco club has occupied since 1977, expanding the location’s footprint to 150,000 square feet.

“We had a simple idea in 1977: build a great club for this city. We’re grateful San Francisco let us, and we’re proud to see it still standing on the same block where it all started,” said Bay Club co-founder Pete Jones.

The $65 million deal, with financial guidance from CBRE’s Bay Area Capital Markets team, will allow Bay Club to occupy a significant chunk of San Francisco’s North Waterfront — and the brand isn’t planning on stopping there. As more space becomes available in the area, the fitness club is hoping to snatch it up.

“San Francisco didn’t just shape Bay Club, it made us,” said Bay Club president and CEO Matthew Stevens. “We were born here, we grew here and we’re not going anywhere. As we approach our 50th year, this acquisition is our commitment, to this city, to our members and to the next half century. San Francisco is our home, and we’re tripling down on it.”

The acquisition is a strategic component of the brand’s three-part growth blueprint: building interconnected regional campuses; expanding sports, outdoor recreation and active lifestyle offerings within those locations; and connecting members across locations through its shared membership model that permits up to 10 people to join under one flexible membership.

The KKR-backed Bay Club also announced that it’s currently in the midst of a $25 million transformation of its Manhattan Country Club, expanding its 12,000-square-foot fitness center with new equipment, studios and functional training spaces, and a designated recovery center.

Manhattan club members will also soon have access to a Sky Deck, Family Activity Center, family pool and expanded dining as well.