ASHEVILLE - A gray bumpy and unlikely 36-foot-tall downtown landmark has been removed from its equally unlikely place − the side of a city parking garage − after nearly 30 years of challenging climbers and drawing surprised onlookers.
The climbing wall was approved by the City Council in 1995 and quickly installed by new climbing gym operator Stuart Cowles before Asheville's premier festival Bele Chere. The outdoor wall of the gym "Climbmax" was intended to give his business more visibility, Cowles said. But it also was part of what helped turn the then-sleepy city into a strange and fun place.
Cowles sold his business in 2022 and the new owner moved out. This month, the wall was taken down to allow the city, which owns the property, to prepare the spot for a yet-to-be-determined renter.
"I definitely have mixed emotions," Cowles told the Citizen Times Aug. 26, days after the wall's removal.
In 1992, Cowles, now 59, drove from New Hampshire to Asheville sight unseen with full car and the concept of a climbing gym, a new type of business for the United States. Even more unusual was the idea of the outdoor wall.
In 1995 he faced some pushback from the city, but convinced officials to rent the side of the parking deck and indoor space to him for $100 a month for the first year. After getting City Council approval in June, he drove the 2,500-pound artificial rock wall from its Oregon factory, and bolted it to the side of the deck, finishing at 2:30 a.m. July 28 − just hours before the start of Bele Chere.
The wall quickly became a landmark and spectacle. One year, Cowles attached hard foam panels to the side, creating an "ice" climbing route. In 2003, Hans Florine − who set speed records ascending the Nose of Yosemite National Park's granite monolith El Capitan − zipped up it in nine seconds.
"We were all proud of ourselves when we did it in 23 seconds or 28 seconds," Cowles said.
Climbmax closed the gym to the public at the start of the pandemic but opened it to private events. After it was sold, new owners, Cultivate Climbing , moved out and now run their gym out of an Amboy Road location.
City spokesperson Kim Miller said some nearby business owners believed the unused space and surrounding area had "become less safe" and so city staff began looking at new uses.
Removing the wall cost $20,000, Miller said. It's expected to cost another $32,000 to demolish the interior space. In addition, the city plans to spend $2,000 to paint the wall.
To recoup some of that, the city plans to auction the wall, which it thinks may go for $3,000.
As for what type of renter might go in the space, Miller said city staff and nearby businesses are discussing ideas.
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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville downtown climbing wall, one of 1st in US, scaled by El Cap's fastest, removed
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