PORTSMOUTH, Va., Feb. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunch Fitness today announces the opening of Crunch Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Virginia. The $5 million, 40,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness facility will open its doors in Summer 2025. Operated by Crunch Fitness franchisee Fitness Ventures LLC, Crunch Portsmouth will be located at 2550 Airline Boulevard in the former Conn's HomePlus building, creating a new fitness offering for residents of Portsmouth.

Fusing fitness with entertainment to make serious fitness fun, Crunch Portsmouth will offer top-quality cardio and strength training equipment, power half-hour circuit training, personal training, a dedicated group fitness studio, Ride cycling classes, a functional HIITZONE^TM training area with indoor turf, TRX®, tanning, HydroMassage® beds, Kids Crunch babysitting, and full-service locker rooms with showers and a sauna.

Brian Hibbard currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Fitness Ventures LLC, which owns and operates Crunch Fitness locations across the U.S. Crunch Portsmouth will be the Fitness Ventures LLC's 64th location nationwide and third location in Virginia, with plans to open 15 more this year.

"We are excited to bring the Crunch brand to Portsmouth. Crunch is for everyone - from the first-time gym-goer to the seasoned athlete," said Hibbard. "With a high-energy and fun environment, and memberships starting at $9.99 per month, we have options to meet everyone's goals and budget."

Crunch Fitness ranked #1 in the fitness category for the second year in a row and #32 overall in the annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500® - the world's most comprehensive franchise ranking. Crunch Fitness continues to expand nationwide and push the bar with innovative offerings for its members.

Prospective members can visit CrunchPortsmouth.com for more information about memberships and to sign up. The first 500 founding members to lock in the opening rate will receive $1 down and one month free plus a complimentary t-shirt, discounts on small group and personal training, and more.

Crunch is also expanding its team within the Portsmouth area and is looking for individuals who are eager to help their community experience fitness, wellness, relaxation, and recovery. Crunch believes in not only being the best place to work out but also the best place to work. Interested applicants can apply today at CrunchPortsmouth.com.

About Crunch:

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of 'No Judgments.' Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves three million members with over 500 gyms worldwide in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe.

SOURCE Crunch Fitness

Portsmouth joins the Virginia Main Street Program to revitalize High Street, boost small businesses, and celebrate its heritage while driving growth and innovation.

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The City of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Partnership have announced their selection into the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)’s 2025-2026 cohort of the Mobilizing Main Street Program.

Portsmouth is one of eleven cities accepted into the program and the only one in Hampton Roads.

The Mobilizing Main Street Program assists communities in achieving Main Street America accredited status, a nationwide initiative that revitalizes and strengthens historic downtowns and commercial districts.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Portsmouth to reimagine the High Street corridor,” said Max Greenhood, Portsmouth Partnership’s Board Chair.

“With the Innovation District rising at one end of High Street and waterfront development coming on the other, we’re excited to invest in the heart of Olde Towne to bring them together and add to the extraordinary momentum of growth and investment in Portsmouth.”

Mayor Shannon Glover celebrated the announcement, calling it a significant milestone for the city’s economic future.

“This opportunity underscores the potential of our historic downtown and the strength of our community,” said Glover. “Together, we will work to preserve our heritage, revitalize our business corridors, and create a vibrant, inclusive space where residents and visitors can thrive. This is a major step forward in building a brighter future for Portsmouth.”

The two-year program will help Portsmouth develop work plans, implement sustainable operating budgets, and achieve accredited Main Street America status. It will also focus on identifying economic opportunities, supporting small businesses, creating job opportunities, and conducting design assessments, market analysis, and grant management.

A key focus will be the city’s High Street corridor, Innovation District, and waterfront area. Mayor Glover emphasized the importance of celebrating Portsmouth’s historical roots while attracting new visitors and investment.

“We are proud of our history and look forward to new visitors coming to the city of Portsmouth to really see what our city has to offer,” said Glover. “This recognition shows that Portsmouth is ready to move in an amazingly positive direction.”

The Portsmouth Partnership will work collaboratively with DHCD and other localities in the program to bring about impactful changes that will enhance the community as a whole.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A select group of incarcerated men in Portsmouth were able to see their families this holiday season as part of a reentry program.

Those individuals hugged loved ones at the Men Alleviating Negativity (M.A.N.) Foundation and the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office's sixth annual Christmas party.

Watch related coverage: Sheriff's program helps inmates struggling with addiction

One of those incarcerated men was Kevin Carter, who greeted his children and grandchildren. He hasn't seen them in roughly six months.

"I'm holding back tears in front of my boys..." said Carter.

There was a lot to be said.

"I just wanted to tell him good job in person instead of being on the phone," said Carter. He expressed that he wanted his family members to know he's proud of their achievements.

Watch related coverage: Chesapeake sheriff readies construction on jail's new mental health unit

Those with the M.A.N. Foundation said the event, where the families could visit and find Christmas gifts together, is as much for the men as it is for their loved ones. They said building up support these support systems helps reduce recidivism and helps break the school-to-prison pipeline.

"It's so important for us as a part of this foundation that we keep those connections with the family and have events like this so we can make sure the family unit stays intact," said Dr. Velvet Smith, chairman of the board at the M.A.N. Foundation. "They want to stay moving in a positive direction so it's not a continuous cycle of incarceration, of trauma and impact within the community."

Watch related coverage: Hampton Sheriff's Office starts initiative to cut back on repeat offenders

"Having an incarcerated parent is a part of trauma, so once we tell the guys that, they really reflect and think, 'I don't want my child to be a part of that trauma,'" said Dr. Jaclyn Walker, founder and executive director at the M.A.N. Foundation.

They said it helps Portsmouth too.

Watch related coverage: Club helps high school boys break the cycle of silence surrounding mental health

"We want you to be better suited to go back to your community than what you were when you came to our facility," said Portsmouth Sheriff Michael A. Moore.

"Do you think if the family is engaged that those who are incarcerated are maybe more motivated to continue on a positive path?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.

"I do. I do," said Moore. "Even if there's one out of the many, to me, that's a success."

Carter wants to be that one. He said events like these build momentum.

Watch related coverage: This ex-inmate wants to reframe your view of people leaving prison

"Letting me know what I gotta look forward to when I get out and to just keep striving forward to be the best foundation, because I'm the father and the grandfather," said Carter.

He expects to come home in the spring.

The M.A.N. Foundation and the Sheriff's Office also put on other events throughout the year to encourage family bonding.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Dream Center hopes to do marvelous things for the Prentis Park community.

“We offer afterschool care, mentoring and life skill programs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30-7:30 p.m.,” Carlton Copeland, the Executive Director of A Purpose Driven, said. “We’ve partnered with [Portsmouth] Parks and Rec with the FDA food program to offer 25 hot meals and snacks every day.”

The Dream Center operates under A Purpose Driven, a nonprofit 501c3 organization working to assist the community and families. Copeland founded the nonprofit after implementing Blacktop Basketball, an organization focused on fundamentals of basketball in West Virginia. Copeland returned to Virginia in 2015, and has continued the little league basketball team in the Cavalier Manor for the past seven years.

“We found out that there is a greater need besides basketball,” said Copeland.

The Dream Center is located at 2701 Columbus Avenue in Portsmouth Virginia. The site was previously the location of two churches.

“To know that this is Holy Land because St. Mark was here on his property and Mt. Sinai [Family Christian Life Center] occupied the same land,” said Copeland. “To know that I’m the third owner of the land where two churches resided, I feel the love, and everybody that comes in here feel the space is something special about it.

“This was the annex to the church… This building was used for quite a few things, for both churches and giving back to the community. I feel an obligation to follow the same suit, to service the community the same way that the church serviced the community,” said Copeland.

For the last decade, Copeland says God led him to work with the youth.

“I know that it’s my assignment to do this, and I know that he’s going to bless the Dream Center,” said Copeland. “With God on our side, we can have an [impactful] influence on them and be able to give an ear, and more importantly, a heart, to be able to spread love and trust. It’s important that they do see us, and they do feel the love that we have. You feel that when you come in to the Dream Center!”

He is looking for more community organizations to support the mission.

“As soon as there’s Sun breaks. We’re going to be outside serving the community, having events, having a music, playing the grill, cooking,” Copeland said. “We’re going to do all those things. We’re going to give back clothing, food, and it’s just not for us to use to give back. We’re definitely opening and looking for partners who have a knack or have an organization or just want or need a place to be able to give back. They definitely can contact us at the Dream Center. We have plenty of space outside to be used, so we are looking to share the space with those who want to make a difference.”

Christmas on Columbus

‘Christmas on Columbus’ is an initiative lead by Copeland to add holiday lights on the new Dream Center and the neighboring houses along Columbus Avenue.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be great that if we could just light up the block for the holidays and let the kids in the neighborhood in the city be able to come down Columbus Avenue and see lights? I’ve had the property since 2018, it has been pretty dark. So, we put a request out and we did get some donations, enough donations to light up the Dream Center and also to put lights on it for residential houses on the street,” said Copeland. “It was a pleasure to develop that relationship. Since I’m on the block, I’m not here to take over the community. I’m here to be part of the community!”

This weekend, Copeland will continue to work on “putting smiles on the kids’ faces” with the ninth Annual Toy Giveaway through A Purpose Driven and Blacktop Basketball on Saturday Dec. 21 from 12-4 p.m.

“It’s all about unity in the community,” said Copeland.