MERIDIAN TWP. — A Grand Rapids rock climbing gym specializing in bouldering will open a second location in the former Foods for Living storefront off East Grand River Avenue.
Terra Firma Bouldering Co. has leased the 15,000-square-foot space at 2655 E. Grand River Ave., according to Shawn O’Brien, CCIM senior vice president at Colliers. The real estate firm represented the property’s landlord.
The storefront, home to independent grocery store Foods for Living for 27 years, has been vacant since the business closed in June 2024.
Terra Firma Bouldering Co. opened in 2023 off Marshall Avenue in Grand Rapids. Like the first gym, the new Meridian Township location will focus on bouldering, which is “rock climbing in its simplest form. No ropes, no harness, all you need is yourself, your comrades, chalk, shoes, and a cushy pad to catch your falls,” according to a description on the company’s website.
The East Lansing location will offer “6,000 square feet of climbing terrain,” group and private lessons, a shop offering climbing gear, and youth programs, according to the website.
No opening date is listed for the new gym, but the company expects to open it in mid to late April, according to the website. The company is currently hiring for positions there.
Memberships at the Grand Rapids location will cross over to the Meridian Township gym, it said.
In an update posted to the company’s website in January, Terra Firma Bouldering Co. said progress is being made to transform the space.
“Our East Lansing space is taking shape more and more each day,” it read. “The behind-the-scenes work is coming together so we can get the space ready for climbing walls, holds, and all the fun stuff! The duct work has been raised and painted, the mezzanine area for offices and a break room is coming together, and the stairs up to it are officially in! The plumbing lines are almost complete, and the updated electrical is wrapping up soon!”
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“Terra Firma Bouldering Gym will be an exciting addition to this rapidly redeveloping Grand River Avenue corridor, especially given its proximity to Michigan State University,” O’Brien said in a news release. “With bouldering’s rising popularity, the facility will be a destination for health and recreation enthusiasts which is anticipated to bring even more energy to the area.”
The new gym is located near Whole Foods, Hobby Lobby and Crunch Fitness.
Learn more about Terra Firma Bouldering Gym’s East Lansing location at www.climbterrafirma.com/east-lansing.
Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Indoor rock-climbing gym leases former Foods for Living in Okemos
Reporting by Rachel Greco, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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