Pittsburgh-Based ASCEND to Open Erie's First Climbing Gym at 5th and State

Erie News Now has learned that the anchor tenant for the Erie Downtown Development Corporation's brand new five story building about to go up at 5th and State Streets is ASCEND Climbing based in Pittsburgh.

ASCEND Climbing operates two climbing gyms, one in Pittsburgh and one in Youngstown, with a third facility planned to open in the Point Breeze area of Pittsburgh in 2022.

Climbing is a growing sport and activity across the nation. ASCEND’s facilities offer a mixture of climbing walls for roped climbing, bouldering, training, and group or team use, as well as cardiovascular equipment, weights, and yoga and fitness classes.

Each site provides youth programs for all ages and abilities. ASCEND also hosts a wide range of community events and activities, from climbing competitions to fitness clubs to movie nights.

According to Paul Guarino, director of marketing and operations and one of ASCEND's founders, the ASCEND Erie facility will include a three story climbing wall-- that's taller than the climbing facilities in their Pittsburgh location.  It will extend through the third floor of the new five story building and be visible from the 5th Street side of the complex.

The 26-thousand square feet of ASCEND Erie, will primarily occupy the first and second floors of the new EDDC building, with residential tenants on the top three floors.

According to EDDC Chief Executive Officer John Persinger, the climbing gym will be a great amenity for residents of the all the downtown housing that's being developed, as well as for people who work downtown, but it's expected to become a regional destination attracting visitors to Erie too. "Because the property occupies such a strategic location, we knew that we needed to recruit a dynamic tenant," Persinger said.

Nicole Reitzell, EDDC Vice President for Community Engagement & Social Impact, discovered ASCEND’s gym in Pittsburgh and reached out to the ownership about the possibility of opening a climbing gym in Erie. EDDC officials made several trips to Pittsburgh to observe the facility at different days and times of the week. They say they were impressed by the facility, their operations, and their eagerness to expand climbing, which is now an Olympic sport. EDDC officials say they were most impressed by ASCEND’s emphasis on building a community.