After nine years in operation, Birmingham Boulders, a downtown rock climbing gym, will close its doors at the end of 2025.
This closure comes several years after First Avenue Rocks — its predecessor from the same owner, Joe Ortega — closed permanently in November 2019, a decade after it first opened.
Few paths forward after building sale
The gym was notified in the summer that the landlord would be selling the building, according to the business’ Instagram announcement. The owners spent months deciding what to do and considered purchasing the property or selling the building and business together.
However, Birmingham Boulders ownership said, their business is not in the financial position for either of those to be viable options…