College Park’s much talked about recreational climbing wall will remain at its current location.
Public backlash led City Council to its decision to keep the wall in place at the Tracey Wyatt Recreation Complex, the officials said.
The city was planning to take down the popular wall but two weeks ago, Councilman Roderick Gay stated that he wanted council to reconsider.
During a regular meeting on Friday, Council voted to keep the wall at the Godby Road recreation center. Gay and fellow officials said the issue had become “political” receiving too much media attention.
Remaining funds from $60,000 that was to be used for the expense of dismantling the public rock wall and moving it to another location will now go toward programming and safety initiatives, according to the city. Officials were looking into the wall going to the Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center or the Wayman and Bessie Brady Recreation Center but the wall is too tall for those locations, Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie said.
Gay and McKenzie were the deciding votes of the four councilmembers. Councilwoman Tracie Arnold voted in opposition and Councilman Joe Carn abstained.
The rock climbing wall has been closed since January for maintenance and is expected to reopen soon for children’s summer camp.
The wall first opened in 2021 to offer low income and minority youth free access to rock climbing. Kai Lightner, a professional rock climber, raised more than $100,000 for its construction through his nonprofit, Climbing for Change.
City officials’ disagreement on the rock wall became public in April when Councilwoman Arnold pushed for the wall to come down. She did not state her reasons until Friday.
The wall is located in Arnold’s Ward III district where residents don’t use the wall or want it, she said.
Mayor Bianca Motley Broom has said the wall has attracted 15,000 visitors since it opened three years ago.
For weeks, council has heard from members of the public who are against removing the wall, including Lightner.
Lightner said he wants to celebrate the wall staying in place with a community climbing party at the recreation center.
Resident Mose James IV, who has frequently visited the rock wall with his wife and children, credits Gay for the city’s change of mind on the wall.
“I am happy that the council listened to the voice of the constituents and I’m excited that the community is coming together” James said. “It’s unfortunate that we had to go through all of this just to get back to where we started (in keeping the wall at its current location).”
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