Kwon Wellness Martial Arts & Fitness will open a Great Neck location at 6 Grace Ave., offering classes to children and possibly expanding into other activities. The Village of Great Neck Plaza granted the martial arts center a conditional use permit at its Wednesday, Oct. 15, meeting, following a discussion with owner and head instructor Dae Keun Kwon.
The martial arts center’s Roslyn location at 20 Roosevelt Ave. has over 500 students, but Kwon plans on keeping this one a lot smaller, he said. The new center will hold just one class at a time in the beginning, despite the over 1,400-square-foot space’s capacity of over 100 people. Classes with older students will have up to 12 students, while classes with younger students will have six.
“I prefer not to put any more than 12 kids at this moment,” Kwon said.
This is consistent with Kwon’s goal to provide a location that is easier to access for students based in Great Neck and surrounding areas.
“Our purpose is not to open up a school to make money,” he said. “We just want to make our students that were present able to train at this location is our first goal. I’m hoping that we don’t lose money in teaching our classes – and that’s the second.”
The need for parents to stay at the facility was a topic of discussion, with the board deciding parents of children up to second grade must remain present, while there will be more flexibility for older children.
Kwon had been granted a permit back in May to open a similar facility, but it expired as the leasing agreement did not line up timing-wise.
“Congratulations for a second time,” Mayor Ted Rosen said after the board approved the permit before providing information about the Chamber of Commerce and a possible future ribbon cutting ceremony.
The current tenant of the space will move out in November, at which time Kwon will approximate how long construction will take. Rosen granted 90 days for Kwon to take over occupancy and said the permit will expire in six months unless Kwon returns to ask to renew it.
“I paid my first rent, so I’m not wasting any time,” Kwon said.
