In late June 2014, LoganSquarist writer Kara Andersen reported on First Ascent Climbing Gym coming to the Logan Square/Avondale neighborhoods. As of now, the facility hopes to be open for business in the early to middle of 2015 at its North Spaulding Avenue location.
Since our previous story ran, the First Ascent team has been busy securing building and construction permits, hosting and participating in fundraisers and holding a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of the Chicago climbing community’s future home.
Following the ceremonial groundbreaking, construction crews have graded the site and excavated the old foundation to make room for the new one.
Once complete, the facility will have 26,000 square feet of wall space dedicated to top-rope and lead-climbing, while an additional 5,000 square feet of climbing surface will be reserved for bouldering; wall heights will go up to 60 feet and features like a 40 foot overhang on the competition wall and an arch of 45 feet are in the wall’s design.
The gym will be multi-use facility, complete with implements for training specific to climbing, cardio machines, slacklines, free-weights and yoga/fitness classes. A café selling light fare, smoothies and coffee is also planned.
The facility is designed to host national and international climbing competitions, which will bring the world’s best climbers to Chicago: a geographic location where you can’t climb on anything beside buildings or trees for hundreds of miles in any direction.
On Dec. 22, First Ascent got down to brass tacks on its Facebook page by showing its pricing model for memberships. The gym will have a day pass and monthly, 3-month and yearly memberships available ($18, $75, $225 and $750 respectively with savings built into each price increase); prior to the gym’s opening, they’ll offer pre-sale memberships at special rates. Compared to the prices at Brooklyn Boulders in the West Loop, First Ascent’s rates offer climbers savings of 19% – 31% depending on the pricing option.
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