Case Study : RizFit, Grand Army of the Republic Hall, Lancaster

Inspiring Stories

The story of the transformation of the building that once housed the Grand Army of the Republic in downtown Lancaster into the RizFit Fitness Studio is inspiring enough for anyone contemplating a small-scale redevelopment project in a historic building. The story of its owner and founder, Peter Rizzo, is even more so.

The building at 18 Middle Street was built about 1868 for Lafayette Moore's hardware store, a tin shop and a harness maker. The second floor was later adapted to include a meeting place for veterans of the Civil War. Its well-preserved and distinctive storefront in the Italianate Commercial style makes it an important building in the historic downtown and its history illustrates the community's strong social network 150 years ago. With 3200 square feet of clear space on two finished floors, the sturdy building offered a ton of potential when it went on the market several years ago.

An accident in 1999 severed Peter Rizzo's spinal code and left him unable to walk. While recovering, Peter was inspired  by the story of a successful body builder in a wheelchair and began his own career in fitness, motivated by the idea that no obstacle is too big to overcome. He opened a personal training studio in 2004, renting space in several Lancaster area locations through the years.

Serendipity

A dozen years later, Peter Rizzo was ready to purchase a property and create a more sustainable and flexible model for his business. At the same time, momentum was growing in the community to revitalize Lancaster's historic commercial core, with the goals of attracting new businesses and increasing downtown housing stock and younger population growth.

Realtor Peter Powell and downtown business owner Greg Cloutier – both leaders in the revitalization effort – encouraged Peter Rizzo to look into purchasing the GAR Hall, which had been for sale for several years. With its large open spaces and sturdy construction, the location offered a good fit for the needs of the expanded RizFit business model – space for personal training and an open gym and the potential for rental income.

The Code Challenge

One of the most unexpected challenges of turning a GAR Hall into a fitness studio proved to be creating a project that met state building and life safety codes. The nature and use of the building – including 24/7-member access to exercise equipment and changing rooms on the first floor and two apartments and an acupuncture office on the second floor – increased safety concerns. Unanticipated upgrades such as medical grade wiring, emergency lights, various alarms, and secondary access from the apartments increased the renovation budget by about $30,000. The use of fire retardant paint, rather than a sprinkler system, provided some cost savings.

A Community Effort

Financing for the purchase and renovation was a community effort. RizFit client Linda Upham-Bornstein lent her expertise as a former board member of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and as the History, Heritage and Culture Coordinator for the Center for Rural Partnerships at Plymouth State University. The Northern Community Investment Corporation in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and Stewart Gates, a Business Adviser with the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, assisted with writing a business plan and pro forma financial statement. Both were key documents in securing strong support and financing from Passumpsic Savings Bank and  a small group of local investors.

The town of Lancaster also lent its support to the project through the local adoption of the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Program (NH RSA 79-E) at town meeting in 2017. The program offers property owners short-term property tax relief for projects that repair and reuse under-utilized commercial buildings. The goals of the incentive program – enhancing economic activity while preserving the culture and historic character of downtowns and village centers – matched the revitalization efforts already underway in Lancaster.

With the support of town planner Ben Gaetjens-Oleson, RizFit Training Studio was the first project in Lancaster to earn the tax benefit. The property's tax assessment was frozen at its value at the time of purchase for nine years, in exchange for a covenant signed by the town and Peter Rizzo ensuring the property's continued maintenance and use. The savings will enable him to further grow his business and expand its clientele base. Linda Upham-Bornstein reports that the stories behind the project – both Peter Rizzo's personal story and the history of the GAR Hall – helped the Select Board make its decision.

“Building a RizFit Community”

A group of Plymouth State University students and a grant secured by community leaders contributed the final piece of support for the RizFit project. With grant support, Allan Guilbeault of LGA Media Group of Lincoln and a PSU cluster of 60 students under the guidance of Roy Stever and other business faculty worked with downtown business leaders to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the community and develop branding and marketing plans for the downtown and several individual properties, including the RizFit Fitness Studio. The students' efforts culminated in a video of Peter Rizzo telling his story and describing his approach to fitness; it's now showcased on the studio's website.

Resources and More Information

“Building a RizFit Community” video, https://www.rizfit.com/about.html

Linda Upham-Bornstein, luphambornstein@plymouth.edu, 603-381-6552

New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, https://www.nhsbdc.org/, 603-862-2200

Northern Community Investment Corporation, http://www.ncic.org/, 802-748-5101 

Passumpsic Savings Bank, https://www.passumpsicbank.com/, 603-788-4715

Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive – https://nhpreservation.org/commercial-property-79e

LGA Media Group, https://www.lgamediagroup.com/whoweare, 603-932-6161