Planet Fitness splits former Best Market space with grocer Lidl 

A Planet Fitness has moved into what was left of the former Best Market grocery store space in West Babylon.

The gym and discount grocer Lidl have split the space in the West Babylon Town Center.

The gym, which opened July 17  at 533 Montauk Hwy., occupies 21,700 square feet, while Lidl, which opened in September, occupies 36,000 square feet, said Robert Goldfeder, director of leasing for Woodmere-based real estate developer Basser-Kaufman, which owns the shopping center.

More than 90% of Planet Fitness’ 2,291 gyms in North America and Australia are franchises, but the location in West Babylon is corporately owned.

“The gym features state-of-the-art cardio machines and strength equipment, 30-minute express circuits, numerous flat-screen televisions and clean, spacious locker rooms and showers,” Hampton, New Hampshire-based Planet Fitness said in a statement.

There are 25 Planet Fitness gyms on Long Island.

Lidl, a German chain, bought 27 grocery stores from Bethpage-based Best Market in 2019, including all 24 of the Best Markets on Long Island.

The store in West Babylon was among the last three Best Markets on Long Island to be closed for renovations and conversions to Lidl stores.

West Babylon Town Center is a 128,221-square-foot property whose other tenants include Big Lots, PetSmart, Starbucks and Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

By Tory N. Parrish

tory.parrish@newsday.comToryParrish1

Tory N. Parrish covers retail and small business for Newsday. She has worked at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.