Some reasons why a gym would work in the Ham.
The main argument that there is already two gyms in Bellingham does not work. Lets be real. Both gyms suck. I currently volunteer at both the Y and the Western wall. They are not climbing gyms. They are a rec facility that happens to have a crappy wall attached to it. Being a recent student. Any dedicated climber that actually cares about getting better would leave the rec center and join a real climbing gym. Western would actually be a great launch pad for climbers, for when they really get serious they could go to a real gym.
Another argument was made that serious climbers have there own gyms/woodies that they climb at. I have my own gym. And i do climb at other "hard core sport climber" gyms. But they are nothing compared to a real climbing gym.
You cannot compare a real gym to the two prior gyms that have been attempted to be put up. The leading edge was a joke gym that smelled like feet. If a real gym is put up there is a real chance of it working out, obviously there is risk, especially since our economy is in the crapper. But seriously we live in Bellingham where our only choice of exercise indoors is to lift heavy things. if this new gym sells to the Bellingham community of being a community oriented green facility it could have a good chance of working. The main reason it would not work is the economy not because of the two crappy gyms that noone wants to climb at.
