VASA Fitness has opened its first Michigan club, a 58,300-square-foot gym on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. A local instructor who runs small classes says big gyms have a clear edge: price. VASA’s district manager explains why the chain chose Dearborn.
By: Luka Gabrish October 19, 2026
VASA Fitness opened its first Michigan club on Sept. 26 at 23000 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn, and by the end of its first day, it had 3,300 members, according to district manager Aaron Jackson.
The 58,300-square-foot gym opened its doors with 3,000 members already signed up and added 300 more by closing time, Jackson said.
The club marks the company’s entry into Michigan. With memberships starting at $14.99 a month, VASA is competing for members in a city already served by commercial gyms and small, independent studios.
Jackson said the company set out to undercut rising gym prices, and a local fitness instructor said smaller gyms find that price point hard to match.
High value, low price
Jackson, who previously worked for VASA in Nebraska and Colorado, said the company saw a gap in the local market.
“When we walked into these clubs, we saw price gouging,” Jackson said. “Nobody is making modifications, and yet the price is going up.”
VASA was founded in Utah in 2014 and operates as a single company, as opposed to a franchise. Jackson said Dearborn is its 75th location.
“We try to operate in that high value, low price range of facilities,” he said. “It matched the Michigan culture; you guys are really just one of a kind.”
The Dearborn club offers three membership tiers. The basic membership costs $14.99 a month. The $24.99 Fitness tier adds access to a pool, cold plunge, spa, sauna, steam room, massage chairs, red light therapy, and a group fitness room. The $44.99 Studio membership adds three boutique-style classes: HIIT, a high-intensity training class; Studio Flow, an infrared yoga class; and Studio Lift, a traditional weightlifting class.
A local perspective
Emily Goward runs a small dance studio in Dearborn and teaches at Henry Ford College. She began her career teaching aerobics and weight training and is certified through the Athletics and Fitness Association of America and the American College of Sports Medicine. She holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from Wayne State University.
Goward said large commercial gyms offer advantages that smaller studios struggle to match.
“Big gyms have more options,” Goward said. “The definite benefit is you don’t have to be social if you’re not a social person.”
She said each person’s workout should fit their own needs.
“Working out, you really have to tailor what you need for your own psychological needs … it is nice that VASA can offer different aspects of it all,” she said.
Goward said Dearborn’s diverse community shapes what residents look for in a gym, and that many people are less interested in small private gyms than they once were.
“I do think it’s unbelievably hard for a lot of small gyms to compete,” Goward said. “You can’t beat the price.”
Built for families
Jackson said VASA designed its clubs with families in mind. The Dearborn location offers on-site childcare, with discounts for Studio members, which Jackson called a “non-negotiable.”
“We have to factor in the days and times we live in today where everyone is working,” Jackson said. “We need childcare if we wanna have that Mom, that Dad, that Grandma, that brother, sister, that parent or guardian to be able to come in and at least get an hour of fitness in, because fitness is a lifestyle to people.”
“Fitness shouldn’t be difficult; an hour should not be hard,” he said.
Inside the club
Adam Baydoun, a Dearborn resident, bought a membership about two days after the club opened. He works out with the gym’s late-night crowd, often around 10:30 p.m., and said he previously went to Crunch Fitness.
“Used to go to Crunch, but I switched over here,” Baydoun said.
He said the amenities stood out on his first visit, including a basketball court, a pool, a Jacuzzi and a cold plunge.
“This prime location brings a lot of new people to town … brings pretty much everyone together,” Baydoun said.
VASA plans to open clubs in Livonia and Ypsilanti, Jackson said, as part of its continued expansion under the new slogan “Built to Be Strong.”
“Our biggest thing was making fitness accessible not to individuals, but to families, to communities,” Jackson said.
VASA Fitness is located at 23000 Michigan Ave, in Dearborn, Michigan.
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