| 853 | Climb Nashville Groundbreaking |
2013-09-06 |
The Groundbreaking
My friend, Jamie, is a Climb Nashville guy. On Wednesday, Jamie called and asked if I wanted to join him for the Climb Nashville groundbreaking of their new gym. Sure, why not. I was writing, but I could finish later.
I hopped on my trusty Panther, town bike, and cruised to the current Climb Nashville gym. Jamie showed me around the gym and told me about the upcoming groundbreaking event. It was a big day for Climb Nashville. I was glad Jamie had invited me.
Now it's time for a confession, I am not a gym person. I have never worked out at the Y, Gold's Gym, a climbing gym, etc. I enjoy being outdoors and exercising in the fresh air. For example, I ride my bicycle everywhere, but riding a spin bike in a gym is not in the least bit appealing to me. As far as rock climbing goes, I still love to scramble and climb easy rock these days, but climbing in a gym just doesn't seem the same. But, when I visited the gym I saw something more. It is not just a fitness venue, they really are climbing. The same goals that I had set in the outdoors - climbing harder, longer, and faster - were being realized in the Climb Nashville gym. The same excitement that I had when I led my first 5.8 route (protected with piton, stoppers, and hexes) was alive in that expansive room. Of course the routes the gym rats were climbing were much harder than I had ever dreamed of attempting, but the energy was the same. The climbing gym promoted their own crazy kind of fitness program. That's why over 1200 members go to Climb Nashville!
By the time we got to the future site of the new Climb Nashville facility, I had already been overwhelmed by my tour of the current gym.
The Crowd
At the groundbreaking site, a huge mound of excavated rocks marked the location of the new gym. Dignitaries from the city, Crain Construction (the builders), and naturally the owners of Climb Nashville were present for the dedication. TV news stations and other news media were present for the event as the video cameras were rolling and the reporters were taking notes. And there I was, watching in awe.
Mayor Dean spoke a few words. The Nashville Mayor has been a forward thinker on the relationship of recreation to the growth of a city. A city is a living, breathing entity. A healthy city shows a special life that appeals to new businesses and residents.
The Mayor congratulated Lance and Drew, the owners of the gym, on their growth and the importance of their choice of new locations to the revitalization of the area. The new site is located on Charlotte Ave. The new Music City Bikeway route is in front of the gym! The Mayor also joked about his past climbing experiences and the climbing gear he had stowed in his closet. Hmm, maybe he'll dig out the old gear once the new gym opens.
Drew, one of the owners, spoke and humbly thanked all the patrons of the gym and the workers for the success of Climb Nashville.
Then the official ceremony began. Donning hard hats, the Mayor and other key players grabbed their shovels and broke the ground.
Unofficial Groundbreaking
When the official ceremony was over, the owners of the Gym did an unofficial groundbreaking, but they wore climbing helmets instead of construction ones. Ha!
The groundbreaking for Climb Nashville was a good event. There was an excitement in the air. You can be sure, Climb Nashville's growth will continue to contribute to the health of Nashville.
A few more notes ...
There were about 50 folks at the event.
The Mayor looked very Mayor-like dressed in a suit, whereas the climbers, looked like climbers : ) It was pretty easy to tell them apart. Of course I keep forgetting about the Mayor's gear hiding in his closet!
The current Climb Nashville gym looks big. (Oddly enough, the gym does not look that big from the outside, but just walk in the door.) The new building must be enormous.
The Crain Construction staff, who seemed to be the hosts for the event, were all very cordial.
Current Climb Nashville Building
Happy Climb Nashville trails