Mark your calendars: Life Time Fitness is set to muscle its way into Walnut Creek's fitness scene at Broadway Plaza on September 22. This isn't just another gym; alongside an expansive workout facility, the club features a restaurant, spa, and rooftop pool.

It’s good news for The Cooperage, a Lafayette mainstay known for its comforting American classics like burgers and salmon, which will soon call Walnut Creek home. Slated to open in mid-October, the restaurant is moving into the former Sakimoto space on Broadway Plaza Street.

East Bay chef and entrepreneur JB Balingit is relocating his lauded eatery, The Hideout Kitchen, into the vacated Coop space on Lafayette Circle.

As Broadway Plaza beefs up its culinary offerings with the likes of Original Joe's and Pinstripes, the shopping center is leaving us guessing on what comes next for the 87,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Neiman Marcus, and the former P.F. Chang's spot. Could a boutique hotel be on the horizon? 

Meanwhile, the historic downtown is in the midst of another evolution, with more and more empty storefronts. Most recently, Vitality Bowls, Crepes Ooh La La, Lulusimon Studio, Threads Consignment, CREAM, and Veggie Grill all departed the area. A-1 Shoe Repair moved its operations to Cypress Street, freeing up a coveted corner on Main Street. Stay tuned; it's shaping up to be another transformative time for the city's retail landscape.