From Furniture Store to Fitness Community: A Commercial Upfit by MSI Realty
A commercial space can offer the right location and square footage while still needing modifications to support a new business. At MSI Realty, we help tenants bridge that gap.
Upfit services are available through our in-house team of carpenters and skilled tradespeople, along with interior design support to help customize the space for your business needs.
The transformation of a longtime mattress and furniture store into Morilla Gym in Morrisville, Vermont, shows how that support can bring a tenant’s vision to life.
A Familiar Property, a New Purpose
For years, the property at 105 Gallery Lane served the community as a mattress and furniture store. With zoning that accommodated retail, storage, recreation, and other uses, the building offered possibilities for its next chapter.
The owners of Morilla Gym saw the potential in the available space and decided to launch a new gym, leasing the storefront portion on the left side of the building. The former showroom offered room for training and classes, but bringing their vision to life required changes to the layout, amenities, and building systems.
MSI Realty’s internal team worked with the tenants to adapt the space, coordinating construction, permitting, and inspections along the way.
Making Room for Movement
The former store’s interior included an office buildout, a large reception area, and overhead lighting and ceiling signage suited to a retail environment. Our team removed those features to open up the floor plan for the gym’s needs.
The existing office on the left side of the interior was removed, and a new office was created at the back of the gym. We also removed the existing flooring and divided the building to separate the gym from the adjoining commercial space.
These changes helped turn the former showroom into a functional setting for workouts, instruction, and daily operations.
Supporting the Details Behind the Transformation
A successful commercial upfit involves more than changing how a space looks. It also means addressing the practical requirements of its new use.
For Morilla Gym, our team’s work included:
Building two ADA-accessible bathrooms, including one shower.
Completing life safety improvements.
Handling the Department of Public Safety permitting and inspection process.
Coordinating zoning permitting.
Painting the building and installing the gym’s exterior sign.
By bringing this work together through our internal team, MSI Realty helped the tenants move from an available commercial space to a facility prepared for their business.
A New Home for Strength and Wellness
Today, Morilla Gym brings a community focused on strength, wellness, and holistic health to the property. Its offerings include Jiu Jitsu, personal training, boot camp, and kickboxing, with an emphasis on creating an inclusive, supportive environment for members at different stages of their fitness journeys.
For MSI Realty, this project represents more than a building renovation. It is an opportunity to help a local business establish a space that supports its work and brings new activity to a familiar community property.
Learn more about the gym at morillagym.com.
Another Transformation Ahead
The adjoining 4,442-square-foot portion of the building, located to the right of the storefront, is also preparing for a new chapter as a future daycare center.
That space includes high ceilings, storage, a mezzanine, two restrooms, one dock door, and two overhead garage doors. Its transition will bring a different set of upfit needs, and we look forward to sharing more as the project progresses.
Customize Your Space with MSI Realty
Finding a commercial property is the first step. Making it work for your business is where thoughtful planning and the right team make a difference.
Whether your business needs an updated layout, new amenities, or improvements to support a different use, MSI Realty offers in-house upfit services and interior design support to help shape the space around your needs.
Contact MSI Realty to explore our commercial properties and discuss the possibilities for your business.
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