Meeting Location

The May 15th meeting will be hosted by me & Kris in our backyard. We'll be voting on some very important issues, so if you want a say in things, you'd better be there! We'll be deciding if we want to be an LLC or actual Co-op. We will then be nominating a "board or directors" to continue the process through some of the finer, legal issues. We will also be spending some time talking about our bylaws and what they should be. If you need directions, please email me @ lynnj13@gmail.com or call my cell 651-208-6318.

If it's not raining, we'll climb on our wall after the meeting!

Bring a lawn chair to sit on, we only have about 6 of our own!!!

Time to get this train out of the station!!

Next meeting Date Set & Overview of Spaces

Hello there! We are having our next meeting on Saturday May 15 @ 7pm. Location to be determined! Any suggestions? Perhaps, we could have it in one of the other spaces. So on that note, I'm going to list out the 4 different spaces we've viewed with potential so far, and their pros and cons. Please comment if you feel I've overlooked something very positive or negative about any of these!

Bolger Building Space 1
Stats: 900 sq feet, ___ feet clear ceiling height, $900 a month(suggested price)
(IMAGES COMING SOON....SOON AS SOMEBODY SENDS ME SOME!)
PROS
•CHEAP! About a buck a square foot gross!
•Tall ceilings
•Private Bathroom & Kitchen area
•Private entrance off parking lot w/ lots of parking
•Right across the street from a bar
•Close to Campus & NE Minneapolis
•AC (air conditioning)

CONS
•Cinder block construction/may need to build all of the walls supportive structure $$$
•Uncertain of ceiling truss strength & ability to hang any structure from it.
•Group consensus felt it was a little small
•We have to keep our bathroom & kitchen clean
•Someone saw a rat during our meeting in the space


Bolger Building Space 2
Stats: 2500 sq feet, ___ feet clear ceiling height, $1200 a month(suggested price)













PROS
•CHEAP! Same deal as the other space!
•Private GARAGE DOOR entrance & potential for "person" door as well!
•Plenty of parking
•Public(building) bathrooms, (we don't have to clean them!)
•Lots of space, room for some growth
•Right across the street from a bar
•Close to Campus & NE Minneapolis
•AC (air conditioning)













CONS
•Cinder block construction/may need to build all of the walls supportive structure $$$
•Uncertain of ceiling truss strength & ability to hang any structure from it.
•NOT directly off from parking lot, (Like the other space in this building) but has back door w/ interior corridor to the space.




Thorpe Building Space 1
Stats: 2,496 sq feet, 14-16ft clear ceiling height, 3 room-spanning bridge cranes, $1325 a month













PROS
•Amazing existing steel structure strong enough for our needs,(WAY cheaper to build our walls)
•Directly across the hall from a bathroom we DON'T need to clean
•Windows along one whole length of the space (the long one too!)
•2 Huge window fans installed at 2 points down wall, excellent ventilation.
•Room to grow
•Coffee shop (and it's a good one) attached by interior hallways!
•Just within our price range
•In NE Minneapolis














CONS
•No direct/designated entrance (though they are willing to give every member a key or a keycard)
•We would likely be paying for all/most of the keycard system & install
•No AC, but big ass window fans
•High voltage line attached to I beam on one side
•Costs more than either Bolger space







Bridge Cranes







Thorpe Space 2
Stats: 4,11o sq feet, 21.5Ft clear ceilings, 1-3 room-spanning bridge cranes, $2,182 a month













PROS
•Gorgeous space with windows along top 3 of 4 walls!
•Perfect shape for maximum usable space
•PLENTY of room to grow & grow & grow
•Existing steel structure provides almost limitless wall design possibilities (free standing boulders/stalactites/arches)
•Ceiling is tall enough for vertical or "roped" climbing
•Directly across from bathroom, (that we are not responsible for cleaning)
•Connected by hallways to awesome coffee shop
•In NE Minneapolis













CONS
•TOO Expensive, unless we get a sweet deal
•No direct/designated entrance (though they are willing to give every member a key or a keycard)
•We would likely be paying for all/most of the keycard system & install
•No AC, NO big ass fans(yet), but good potential for easy ventilation install thru windows
•Expensive! But that's before any negotiations...












•••The bridge crane rides along the top of the I-beams that are half way up the wall. They sit @ 14 feet at the top. The one you can see in the other space is easily rolled down, and there is the possibility of getting 2 more!


Please comment below or email your thoughts to me @ lynnj13@gmail.com

LOCATION OF UPCOMING MEETING ON SATURDAY MAY 15TH TBA!!
CHECK BACK SOON!!!

2nd Meeting @ Station 280

Our second meeting of The Minnesota Bouldering Coop is April 3rd at 7pm. We will be meeting near a potential gym space, at a bar called Station 280, at the intersection of Hwy 280 & Como Ave. We will gather at/in the bar until 7:15, at which time we will move across the street to view and meet in the space. If you miss the group, give me a call (651-208-6318) and I can hopefully talk you over. We will be discussing many things, including the coop structure, and of course, the space itself. We're also excited to welcome everyone who is just maybe interested in possibly being part of the coop. Come see for yourself what you may want to be involved in!

Co-op Membership

Well, if you've made it to this blog then you are probably wanting in on this historic undertaking. We are currently compiling a list of potential members who are serious about joining the Co-op.

The Co-op plans to unite the bouldering community by providing a world class training facility that will boast a positive, inspiring and fun social scene. Expect to climb with the best boulderers around and to have 24/7 access to the space. Design has not yet begun but it is safe to say we are looking to create walls that will make your jaw drop. We plan to inhabit at least 2000 square feet and be located in Northeast Minneapolis near the U of M. Membership is tentatively priced at $450 annually or $40 a month(with a year contract.) Doors are projected to open January 2011!


So, one of our earliest steps is to determine the number of members we will have at opening. This will obviously help determine much of our operating costs for the year and in turn gives us the actual numbers that we can pass on to you. This in no way locks you in but we do want to know your level of interest.


Sound good- want in? Contact mnboulderingcoop@gmail.com

Google Groups

Anyone interested in becoming a founding member should join the mailing list.

You can sign up to join the group at the following page:

groups.google.com/group/mnboulderingcoop

Notes from Meeting at Kris an Lynn's

Proposed Goals:

• To Build a Bouldering community


• To find a common goal for MN boulders and stick to it


• To build a wall to climb at that is not VE


• A place to climb in Minneapolis


• 20-30 Founding Memebers


• 40-60 Co-Op Memebers


• 2000 Square Foot space


• Estimated cost to members is $40 per month with a 12 month minimum


• Founding members will help with startup costs

A 2nd Meeting for April 3rd, 2010.
Location T.B.A.
Submit ideas for name of the Co-op.
Please find more people interested in the co-op.