Austin Bouldering Project to take over Crux Climbing's south Austin location

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Bouldering Project announced Tuesday that it will take over Crux Climbing Center's south Austin location when Crux leaves the space at the end of the year. The news sparked an avalanche of reactions from Austin’s sizable climbing community.

Locally owned business Crux said in an Instagram post Tuesday that Austin Bouldering Project had negotiated a lease with their landlord, without Crux's knowledge, to take over their Pickle Road location. At the time of publishing, more than 5,000 people have liked the post. 

“It's honestly beyond heartbreaking to learn that another climbing business would do this to us. We are the ONLY local climbing gym in Austin,” Crux posted.

Crux announced last week that it would leave its south Austin location on Dec. 31 over affordability concerns. The business said it is already building a new south Austin location along Ralph Ablanedo Drive.

"There is room in Austin for multiple climbing gyms, and this was unnecessary," Crux's post continued. "We could have a healthy climbing relationship. But this action just breaks us for our community and more so for our employees that we will have to let go. They don't deserve this."

However, Austin Bouldering Project told KXAN that it didn't conspire with the location's landlord. Kyle Wiggins, Austin market director for national gym chain Bouldering Project, said they viewed the space as an opportunity to further support the climbing hobby in Austin. 

"We were a bit surprised when the landlord came to us and said, ‘They're actually going to move out soon, what do you think about this? Is this something you'd be interested in?’" Wiggins said. "When we knew they were leaving, and that there was potential for this building to essentially go away, we have wanted to expand our offering to the ropes in the Austin market."

3423 Pickle LLC, the location's landlord, said that Crux in 2023 declined to enter a "longer term commitment." The landlord told KXAN Wednesday night that it had offered Crux a 10 year lease on the location.

After Crux backed out, 3423 went to Bouldering Project with the offer.

"The competitor did not initiate the discussions and did not proceed with entering into a long term lease until the landlord confirmed that Crux indicated that it would not do so," said the LLC's representative. "The landlord was interested in a long term, stable tenant for the space, and determined that it was in its best interest to pursue a committed tenant meeting those criteria."

A social media post by Bouldering Project on Wednesday said that Crux had, in 2022, publicly shared its plans to relocate. The post also claims that Crux declined the landlord's lease renewal terms.

"We’ve always wanted to provide roped climbing to our members, so we signed a lease for the space," the post reads. "ABP did not interfere with the relationship between Crux and their landlord. We’re surprised by Crux’s response, given their plan all along was to close and relocate."

Speaking to KXAN Wednesday, Crux CEO Kevin Goradia maintained that it was not given the option to reach an agreement with its landlord for an extension to their lease. 

"This is [ABP's] first rope climbing destination," Goradia said. "So I found it to be very interesting that they chose to do a rope climbing gym. To do their first rope climbing gym, and there just happened to be one right down the road."

The representative explained that the landlord had extended another offer to Crux after approaching ABP. That offer was also declined, which led to the landlord's decision to not renewing the lease.

"Only then did Crux reach out and request an extension on the 2022 lease, which the landlord declined to consider under the circumstances," the representative said.

Bouldering Project currently has two Austin locations near the Springdale and Westgate neighborhoods, and 10 others nationwide. 

"We felt like this was a good way of being able to do that and also preserve a piece of the climbing community," Wiggins said.