The New York City Department of Buildings has lifted an occupancy restriction they had placed on Brooklyn Boulders’ Brooklyn location. The DOB gave permission to allow up to 280 people inside at the same time, after capping entrants to 75 since April, according to gym and city officials.
For the last six months, BKB-Brooklyn had been forced to limit the number of persons inside the gym to only 75 including staff. This gym responded by setting up a reservation system that was loathed by members. The lifting of the restriction comes just as BKB celebrates its 7th anniversary this week. Owner Lance Pinn told DNAinfo, “Our parties tend to have more than 75 people and it would’ve been a lame party if we didn’t get that [approval].”
The May occupancy restriction came after city officials notified BKB of a code violation after a dialysis center moved in next door. The new neighbor forced the gym to separate the buildings fire sprinkler systems and until that happened the gym had to operate under a restricted occupancy.
The DNA Info article also mentions an inaccurate certificate of occupancy:
“The climbing gym opened in 2009 with a certificate of occupancy that listed it simply as a warehouse, according to DOB spokesman Alexander Schnell. It operated without an accurate certificate of occupancy for the next six years until gym staff amended its certificate last week, he added.”
The code violations did not pose any structural dangers and climbers inside would be safe as long as the gym ran at diminished capacity, DOB officials said at the time.
After hearing about the lifting of the ban Pinn said, “Everyone’s excited. I’m excited. You couldn’t find a happier team. If I could light off fireworks, I would,” the owner added.
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