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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Brooklyn Boulders would retain 70 percent of its Lincoln Park staff. The story has been updated to reflect the company’s plans to keep 70 percent of its Chicago staff, which includes a location in West Loop.
LINCOLN PARK — Indoor rock-climbing gym Brooklyn Boulders will shut down its Lincoln Park location for good on July 31.
The 43,000-square-foot gym at 2131 N. Wayne Ave. opened in 2020 as a complement to Brooklyn Boulders’ smaller West Loop gym.
Credit: Jake Wittich/Block Club ChicagoThe lease in Lincoln Park was “signed prior to the pandemic with expectations that a thriving business would justify especially high fixed costs,” according to the company website. A spike in real-estate taxes and the setbacks of the pandemic have led the business to lose over $1 million in the last year, “with no likely pathway to recovery,” the website states.
All memberships and purchased classes will be honored at the West Loop location, 100 S. Morgan St.
Brooklyn Boulders posted a “Closure FAQ” on it site to address other questions. The company will continue to employ 70 percent of its Chicago staff, according to the website.
The Lincoln Park facility will stay open through Sunday. The location features over 11,000 square feet of climbable terrain. The obstacles are designed for bouldering, a form of free climbing. Members can climb artificial rock formations without a rope and harness, falling back on a thick foam pad if they slip up.
After Brooklyn Boulders Lincoln Park closes, it will have two remaining locations in West Loop and Queens, New York.
Credit: Jake Wittich/Block Club ChicagoListen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”:
