Construction begins on new fitness center and bowling alley at the Falls Center

Pardon the pun, but a bowling alley is rolling into East Falls.

The owners of Sweat gyms are creating the 10th location of the area fitness chain, along with a 10-lane bowling alley, in the Falls Center off Henry Avenue. It’ll be called Sweat Fitness and Frames, and is under construction in an existing building on the old Medical College of Pennsylvania campus, said owner Scott Caplan.

The two businesses will share a common entrance, then each occupy half of the one-story building, with the lanes open to the public and the gym for members only. The location has no liquor license, but patrons may be able to bring their own for certain functions and events, Caplan said.

With few places to bowl nearby — Manayunk’s tiny Hi Spot Lanes, on Pechin Street, is unknown to many outside that neighborhood– and with plenty of Philadelphia University students in East Falls, Caplan said it seemed like a perfect fit.

“There’s nothing like this anywhere,” he said. “We just felt like there are synergies between the two businesses that we can work off of, and we’re really excited about that area.” Work is ongoing at the site, with the lanes to be installed in late November.

Caplan started what is now the Sweat Fitness chain in 1995, and has locations around the city and in Montgomery County. The East Falls facility will also be the third Sweat gym in a property developed by Iron Stone Strategic Capital Partners, which owns the Falls Center.

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Contact Amy Z. Quinn at azquinn@planphilly.com.