West Hartford Business Buzz Feb. 17: Openings, Closings and Other News

Welcome to this week's installment of West Hartford Business Buzz!

People in West Hartford love to be "in the know" about happenings in town, especially the openings – and closings – of local businesses.

We hear things all the time, and some of them turn into big stories. But sometimes we don't have enough news to write an entire story, even though the information is definitely newsworthy. For a while we ran a "Visions for Vacancies" feature on Sundays, but it was getting to be difficult to find vacancies every week.

Every Sunday we'll highlight the business stories you may have missed during the past week, and give you the scoop on the other news you may not have heard about. And if you have tips about businesses opening or closing, please include them in the comments or send an email to ronni.newton@patch.com.

Here's this week's round-up:

• This is the week that Neighborhood Market by WalMart in Bishops Corner will finally open its doors. Wednesday is the big day, but there is a media walkthrough on Tuesday night. Patch will be there for a sneak peek!
• Work in Progress, a new fitness studio offering boot camp group fitness classes, will open in March at 485 New Park Ave. (near Home Depot). According to the studio's website: "WIP Fitness provides personal training in a group setting. You will be inspired and motivated by others while receiving personal attention. Our trainers will customize your workout to help you reach your fitness goals, whether you are a beginner or a body builder."
• If you prefer to treat your body to a massage rather than a workout, there's a new place in West Hartford for that, too. Elements had a soft opening last week at 945 Farmington Ave., right around the corner from Blue Back Square. Elements is a spa – and the "state-of-the-art Himalayan Salt Cave (with sound and fiberoptics)" sounds extremely intriguing! According to its website, Elements also offers "hydrotherapy, mineral-rich vichy and mud treatments, massage therapy, facial rejuvenation, body waxing, and a host of detoxifying and nurturing experiences designed for whole-body healing."
• The big news at Westfarms Mall last week was the closing of Rainforest Cafe. An expanded Forever 21 store will be taking its space, along with the spaces vacated by Champs Sports and Things Remembered.
• This email was received from a Patch reader last week: "What is going on with the vacant lots (and eyesores) in Blue Back? One is located between Modern Tire and French Cleaners right on the corner of Farmington Ave. and Raymond Road. The other is the old Wizard of Paws lot. Seems like high value land but just desolate lots." Does anyone have any answers?