New Jackson/Wink mega gym taking shape
Jackson/Wink MMA is on everyone’s list of the best gyms in the sport, and it is about to get huge. Stephanie Guzman has the story for Albuquerque Business First.
Jackson/Wink MMA is on everyone’s list of the best gyms in the sport, and it is about to get huge. Stephanie Guzman has the story for Albuquerque Business First.
The mats are in, a second octagon is on its way and some of the facility’s living units have been rented out.
Coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn are behind the new center, located on the northeast corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Broadway Boulevard. Winklejohn, his wife and other investors, bought the 32,000-square-foot former federal building last year with plans to make it a live-work-play environment for fighters that come from around the world to train.
The new facility is certainly unique. Along with the large training spaces, it features 2,100 square feet of office space and 4,800 square feet of retail space for lease.
So far, a chiropractor and physical therapist have signed leases at the site. Winklejohn said he’d like some health-related shops and a restaurant for the other spaces. He said the bottom floor would be perfect for a restaurant, because it has large windows where customers can watch fighters practice.
“It can be a destination,” Winklejohn said.
The second floor has office space and several apartments, including four one-and-two-bedroom apartments, three efficiency apartments, and four dormitories that share a common living room, kitchen area and bathrooms. The units range from $500 to $1,300 per month.
Winklejohn said offering living spaces to fighters was important for the new gym and that it will help their business grow.
“It was a good investment because we have people that come in from around the world that need a place to stay, and these guys aren’t here for an extended period of time. Plus the amount of money we can make off those types of facilities is helping [to pay] the bills,” Winklejohn said.
The coach said the fighters appreciate the amenities, as 10 people are already living in the dorms and three apartments have been rented out. Winklejohn said he’s been happy with the results of the new facility so far. Next, he said, construction crews will apply stucco to the outside of the building and add more glass.