The Belmont Athletic Club would not exist today if it weren't for the vision of its founders John and Jan Doyle. These Bowling Green State University sweethearts have been in the athletic industry for over 35 years. It's their enthusiasm and compassion that have built this Long Beach health club into the benchmark it has become.

Prior to opening the Belmont Athletic Club together, they owned and operated the Circle Racquetball Courts near the Long Beach Traffic Circle. John and Jan had grand dreams of building a health club in Long Beach, and spent years searching for the right location. In 1978 they entered into negotiations to lease the old Belmont Theater on 2nd Street. After 11 months of negotiations they were finally awarded the lease and began construction. The Belmont Athletic Club opened its doors in 1980 and has been on the cutting edge of the health club industry ever since.

By the time they became tenants, most of the building's historic interior had been damaged; therefore, it is not considered a historic building. Nonetheless, many of the Art Deco architectural elements are still visible on the building's exterior today.