Auto Mall to move part of business to Canonsburg
Managers at the Washington Auto Mall, owned by the Falconi family, said the dealership will partially relocate to Canonsburg because business has grown larger than the current location can handle. The dealership’s Toyota and Scion franchise will relocate to the site of the former Alexander’s Athletic Club on Washington Road, which closed its doors to members last week.
“We outgrew it a while ago, a couple years actually,” said Gary Flannery, general manager of the dealership at Strabane Square in South Strabane Township. “We were able to buy that location. It was available for sale.”
The gym, owned by Geoffrey Alexander, was purchased by the auto company last year for $3.25 million. It was unclear whether members had been notified in advance that the gym would be closing. Alexander and managers at the Canonsburg branch could not be reached for comment.
Flannery said the building will undergo a complete renovation to make it suitable for housing cars, and that the building “will pretty much be unrecognizable from what you see now.”
The parking and storage areas also will be expanded, and the new facility will cover about 31,000 square feet, compared to 24,000 square feet at the current South Strabane location, Flannery said. It is expected to open next year in fall or winter. The South Strabane location will continue to sell Hondas.
The Canonsburg location of Alexander’s Athletic Club is not the first to close. Last year, the gym in Irwin also shut down after its lease was terminated.
State Rep. Brandon Neuman of Canonsburg went to the gym last week for its closing night.
“I remember when that place was the Challenge Center, so my wife and I went there one last time (Thursday) night to work out,” he said.
Those who already have paid to work out at Alexander’s Athletic Club can have the remainder of their membership honored at The Health Club at Southpointe. Senior citizens whose insurance covered their participation in the Silver Sneakers program at Alexander’s will have to pay out of pocket because The Health Club’s “Silver and Fit” is a different program.