Location:
Historic Oregon District - Dayton OH

Project:


Scope:


Size:
5,000 sq. ft.

projects» urban krag



Before: A boarded up church ready for the wrecking ball

After: An indoor climbing center

The Deutsche Evangelical Reform Church was where you could come and see the light; right through the holes in the roof. No longer needed by a congregation that had moved away, land locked on its lot by Historic Zoning that would preclude adding parking, the grand façade was facing almost certain demolition. So one day when a rock climber called the owner with this idea of building a climbing center in the church, it sounded like a call from the heavens. Here was a guy who wanted a huge space, and another with a huge space in need of a tenant. Getting the Oregon District neighborhood association to buy into this idea was another thing- since zoning pretty much ruled out locating a retail business in the middle of the historic residential neighborhood. By chance, the president of the neighborhood happened to be Barry Buckman, who helped make the logical argument that a climbing center may be the best hope for a revival at the corner of Clay and Cass and a way to save the church. He also became the architect for the project. The Urban Krag is now a destination location for climbers from a three state area. No longer an eyesore, this project was the springboard for two other church conversions in the neighborhood. Rogero Buckman reformed the church, and the neighbors now see a light on inside, as the climbers reach for the heavens.