The Body Electric to Open New Athletic Facility in St. Pete
/Owners of the Body Electric Yoga Company, Jenny Miller (Right) and Katelyn Grady (Left). Photo Credit City of St Petersburg
Back in 2013, Jenny Miller and Katelyn Grady founded The Body Electric Yoga Company with a mission to improve the health and happiness of St. Pete residents by offering accessible, high-quality yoga instruction in a supportive and beautiful environment.
After steady growth, the studio, which is located at 3015 7th Street North, expanded by 4,500 square feet in 2016. Today, The Body Electric, affectionately known as The BE, serves more than 1,000 yogis a week, making it one of most popular yoga studios in Tampa Bay.
Now the time has come for The Body Electric to embark on the next chapter in their journey, an all-new facility dubbed The Body Electric Athletic Company. Set in the Warehouse Arts District, the 15,600 square foot building is located at 655 31st Street South and was purchased in July of this year for $840,000.
According to Miller, this expansion is a natural outgrowth of the interests and expertise of the Body Electric team. “Yoga is magical, but most of us are involved in a variety of movement practices and sports and have come to understand the value in having a well-rounded fitness life,” says Miller.
The Future site of The Body Electric Athletic Company, 655 31st Street South in the Warehouse Arts District
Classes at The BE Athletic will provide great training and recovery with yoga sensibilities. Miller explains, “If you're looking to improve your strength and conditioning, you've got to add load, and pace, and all of the good hard stuff you find in group training facilities. We feel compelled to share the kinds of workouts that we're doing and enjoying in a BE-like atmosphere.”
Miller and Grady are working with local architects Wannemacher Jensen on the buildout of the new space. The facility will feature three large studios plus an open use area for members. Additionally, childcare will be offered as well as a juice bar with all kinds of good stuff to eat and drink (beer, too).
The BE Athletic plans to open with about 35 to 40 classes, sorted into six categories — Conditioning, Strength, Combo, Core Focus, Self-Care and Recovery, and Loaded Yoga. Members will also enjoy regular hours access to an open gym.
Site Plan for the Body Electric Athletic Company, coming soon to 655 31st Street South in the Warehouse Arts District
Existing members of The BE Yoga will be happy to hear that The BE Athletic will offer dual memberships with the yoga studio, of course in addition to stand-alone memberships. Membership pricing has not been revealed yet.
At St. Pete Rising, we couldn’t be more thrilled to see this fantastic local business expand in St. Pete. Miller and Grady could’ve easily replicated The BE Yoga model in other cities, but instead decided to continue to invest in the St. Pete community that they’ve built.
“We love St. Pete, and we love our community of yogis, and we can't wait to roll out this new stuff,” says Miller. “This is something we're personally psyched about. It's just like when we opened the yoga studio. We thought, let's make the kind of place WE want to practice in. That's what makes it authentic.”
The Body electric Yoga Company located at 3015 7th Street North in St Petersburg, FL. Photo Credit City of St Petersburg
If the existing location which houses The BE Yoga is any indication, The BE Athletic will be a beautiful place to get into shape. In what used to be an ice factory, The BE Yoga studio has preserved the buildings thick brick walls, and the remnants of the cork insulation lining the walls of the studio. The yoga facilities include three practice rooms, a retail store, private showers, cellphone lockers, and a lounge with a small library.
If you haven’t been to the yoga studio yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out. A wide range of classes are offered at The BE Yoga during all hours of the day. If you are just starting out or are recovering from an injury, the Foundations classes would be a great choice. Want to elevate your yoga practice? Flow and Hot Hatha are moderately-paced and a good choice for many. If you just want to relax, and aren’t interested in exerting yourself, then you’ll probably enjoy the Restorative, Gentle, Yin, and Meditation classes.
The BE has always been, and continues to be, a welcoming community not only to people of all genders, races, and sexual orientations, but to every skill level as well. “In our approaches and philosophies we strive to be inclusive, outward-looking, non-intimidating, and non-dogmatic,” says Miller. “Our goal is to uplift the entire region by improving the well-being of every individual we reach, and to reach as many individuals as possible.”
The Body Electric Athletic Company is shooting for a mid-December opening. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on Grand Opening plans.
