A former gym in Bloomfield is set to be converted into a less conventional type of workout facility: an axe-throwing venue and “smash room.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special permit to allow an axe-throwing venue and smash room at 31 Tobey Road in units 17 to 19, after a public hearing last week.
Also known as rage rooms or anger rooms, smash rooms – enclosed spaces where people can release their emotions by destroying objects – are growing in popularity across the nation.
The business will be operated by Marcus Furze, a Simsbury resident who considered running as a Democratic candidate for U.S. representative in the 5th Congressional District in 2022. He withdrew and did not appear on the ballot.
Furze also serves as an alternate on Simsbury’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Furze told the commission during Thursday’s hearing that the facility will also have a painting room, where people can paint designs on large canvases.
The axe-throwing venue will give patrons a chance to throw axes at wooden targets.
“We’re going to change the space and utilize it as a way to get new and family-friendly entertainment back into the town of Bloomfield,” Furze said.
The commission approved the special permit with conditions, including that Furze submit a waste disposal plan to the town and that alcohol and other intoxicating substances be prohibited.
Furze told the commission that the facility will not generate more noise than its previous use as a gym.
The business will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, he said.
He said the venue would be ideal for date nights, painting parties and family fun.
The facility will have four to six employees present at all times, who will provide safety training to patrons and enforce strict rules, he said.
Furze, who has a bachelor’s degree in management from Central Connecticut State University, previously managed an auto repair shop, according to a profile on the Simsbury Democratic Town Committee’s website.
