Near Monterey, California the Sanctuary Rock Gym located in Sand City is being forced to close their doors this month. The gym’s last day is Sunday, Feb. 10, to make room for a hotel and housing development that will more than double the small city’s population.
The announcement on Feb. 8 by owner Michael Bascou came as a surprise to many who thought Sand City officials had worked out a plan with property owner Don Orosco to postpone closing impacted businesses for two months.
But Orosco had other plans. He gave notice to owners they had to vacate by mid-February so he could move forward with his project consisting of a hotel and two residential buildings with 355 units, 52 of which will be affordable housing.
Meanwhile, Bascou, who opened Sanctuary Rock Gym in 1996, is feverishly searching for a new location, but to no avail.
“I just lost another great location yesterday,” he says. “I want to find another space and open up—either a full gym with ropes, or a smaller gym with just bouldering and no ropes.”
Bascou is searching everywhere on the Peninsula from Monterey to Marina, including the former Fort Ord.
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