VASA Fitness Opens Eighteenth Club in Colorado, Expanding Access to High-Value Fitness in the State

AURORA, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 16, 2026--

VASA Fitness, one of the nation’s largest high-value, low-price fitness operators, is opening its newest location in Aurora at 1200 South Ironton Street. This marks VASA’s third club in Aurora and underscores the company’s continued investment in Colorado communities by expanding access to affordable, full-service fitness experiences. VASA Aurora (Havana Street) will open tomorrow, Saturday, January 17th, with a Grand Opening celebration starting at 8:00 am, which includes free fitness classes, giveaways, a complimentary coffee truck, and more.

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The new 50,000-square-foot Aurora club is designed to support strength, cardio, recovery, and community-based fitness at an exceptional value. Members will have access to expansive turf, cardio, weights, and performance lifting areas, along with VASA’s signature boutique-style STUDIO offerings. STUDIO programming includes STUDIO RED for high-intensity interval training, STUDIO FLOW infrared yoga for mobility and recovery-focused movement, and STUDIO LFT, VASA’s science-backed strength-training class designed for all fitness levels.

The club also features a comprehensive recovery suite, including steam and sauna rooms, hot tub, cold plunge, red light therapy, and massage chairs, providing members with tools to support performance, muscle recovery, and overall well-being. Additional amenities include Personal Training and a child care center, reinforcing VASA’s commitment to creating welcoming, family-friendly fitness spaces.

“Expanding our presence in Aurora reflects both the strength of the Colorado community and the growing demand for high-quality, affordable fitness,” said Rich Nelsen, Chief Executive Officer of VASA Fitness. “This new club brings together premium strength, conditioning, recovery, and boutique-style classes in one welcoming environment, where members can build healthy habits that support life beyond the gym.”

For more information or to join the Aurora club, visit https://vasafitness.com/locations/co/aurora-havana-street/

About VASA Fitness

VASA Fitness is a high-value, low-price operator of fitness clubs and one of the top 20 largest health club operators in the U.S. VASA’s mission is to uplift everyone through fun, innovative, and affordable fitness. With more than 65 operating locations across Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, VASA delivers an unmatched value proposition, offering full-service fitness experiences for as low as $14.99/month. Members enjoy top-of-the-line equipment, boutique-style STUDIO classes, expert personal training, and on-trend recovery experiences — all within a welcoming, inclusive community. VASA has been certified as a Great Place to Work® for four consecutive years and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

STUDIO Flow class at VASA Fitness

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration is appealing a judge's order blocking the federal government from taking punitive measures against artificial intelligence company Anthropic after a dispute with the Pentagon over military use of AI.

Department of Justice attorneys filed a notice in San Francisco federal court on Thursday of their intention to appeal last week's ruling by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin.

Lin last week said she was blocking the Pentagon from labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk. She also said she was blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump’s social media directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic and its chatbot Claude.

Lin said the “broad punitive measures” taken against the AI company by the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared arbitrary, capricious and could “cripple Anthropic,” particularly Hegseth’s use of a rare military authority that’s previously been directed at foreign adversaries.

“Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government,” Lin wrote.

A top Pentagon official last week called Lin's order a “disgrace.” U.S. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, said on social media it would disrupt Hegseth's “full ability to conduct military operations with the partners it chooses.”

Lin had stayed her order for a week, which gave time for the Pentagon to take the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She had also said her order doesn’t require the Pentagon to use Anthropic’s products or prevent it from transitioning to other AI providers.

Anthropic has also filed a separate and more narrow case that is still pending in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. That case involves a different rule the Pentagon is using to try to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk.

Trump and Hegseth publicly announced their actions against Anthropic on Feb. 27 after negotiations over a defense contract went sour over the company’s attempt to prevent its AI technology from being deployed in fully autonomous weapons or surveillance of Americans. The Pentagon had argued that it should be able to use Claude in any way it deems lawful.

A number of third parties had filed legal briefs supporting Anthropic’s case, including Microsoft, industry trade groups, rank-and-file tech workers, retired U.S. military leaders and a group of Catholic theologians.

FILE - Pages from the Anthropic website and the company's logo are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)