At the beginning of November, the pandemic claimed — though belatedly — another local business. Gritstone Climbing + Fitness was foreclosed upon, and at the end of November, the business was sold at auction to Unified Bank. Its doors have been closed since.
The rock-climbing gym had a small but loyal following, and customers launched “Save Gritstone” campaigns on social media and a GoFundMe to support its former employees.
It’s no wonder its patrons are so steadfast — Gritstone was the area’s only indoor climbing facility open to the public. The 20,000-square-foot facility featured over 100 roped routes across 9,000 square feet of climbing surface, a full-service gym and a yoga studio. The only comparable place is the WVU Rec Center, and it’s limited to select university students and staff.
Since Morgantown is currently making investments in Sabraton — such as taking over Defense in Depth for local police use — it should consider adding Gritstone to its portfolio. Assuming the building here in Sabraton hasn’t already been emptied and the assets sold off, the former climbing facility presents a unique opportunity for the City of Morgantown and the wider region.
The Greater-Morgantown Area — and north-central West Virginia more broadly — has been marketing itself to tourists and potential denizens alike as a recreational paradise that possesses the perfect blend of outdoorsy activities and city amenities. Of course, many activities become non-existent — or at least more uncomfortable — come winter, when temperatures drop and poor weather conditions force people inside.
Gritstone, therefore, presents the perfect opportunity to offer a traditionally fair-weather activity to recreationists year-round and to make the area even more attractive to those passing through or looking to settle. And, more importantly, it would continue to offer a beloved amenity to the people already living here.
Ideally, the City of Morgantown would partner with BOPARC and Monongalia County to purchase the building and make it a shared asset. Considering Gritstone was, and would be again, a recreational resource, it would make sense for it to be managed by BOPARC, which is itself funded by the city, the county and taxpayers via the excess levy.
The new BOPARC Foundation, which raises money for specific projects and a general-use fund, could create a donation category specifically for Gritstone to offset the costs. Given the amount of local support, we imagine it would receive quite a few donations. Once purchased, Gritstone could hire back its old employees, and the area would not only have a world-class facility but a knowledgeable staff to get it quickly up and running.
Should the city bail out every failing local business? No — such a thing is not economically feasible. But Gritstone Climbing + Fitness can be easily converted into a public amenity that benefits the whole community, offering a boost to local recreational opportunities plus something shiny and new to market to tourists. In this case, purchasing Gritstone would be investing in the public good — and that is something our local government should do.
