Changes in Nelson real estate has two local sports groups looking at the possibility of a new home.
"We're pretty much in the same boat other than we have part of a facility and they have none," said member of the Nelson squash club Pat Hodgson about the climbing centre.
The future of the squash club seemed uncertain when they were told in the fall that the building they currently use was up for redevelopment.
Hodgson told the Star in September 2011 that the owner had the opportunity to rent out the main level space to someone else, which meant the club lost two of their better courts and the lounge area.
"As it stands right now we have our two upstairs courts with our change room facilities and we've created a bit of a lounge for ourselves," he said last week about the current facility.
Even though the club has kept part of their old facility, their future seems uncertain.
"I think we're sort of midway through our winter season and I guess the best way to describe where the club is at is we're in a transitional year or transition mode, from where we used to be to where we're at now, to where we think we need to be in the future," he said.
Currently those wanting to use the squash courts have to enter with a key, which Hodgson said has "made it virtually impossible" to pull in new members or casual players.
"They have to contact somebody and have them let them in or play with a member. That opportunity to pull somebody in off the street has basically disappeared," he said. "The lounge was a very important part of what the club used to be. A lot of the members would stop in to have a beer every so often and see who was playing. There was a certain camaraderie and a fun vibe that is sort of lacking this year."
The future of the club is not only dependent on having a facility but also depends on having new members.
"I don't want to say that the writing would be on the wall that the squash club would eventually fade away but our membership is somewhat mature, and there is a pretty committed membership there now," said Hodgson. "But if we can't grow our membership by bringing in new and younger players, time will take it's toll and eventually the membership that is there will have to stop playing at some time."
A condo project for the building which houses The Royal Pub and Grill and Transcendent Combat Sports, has now been shelved and according to Hodgson the landlord has mentioned to the club that he'd like to keep them on as a longer term tentant.
"If the prospect of a new facility that was shared with some other groups looked like it was a possibility we'd have to weigh that option with staying where we are," he said. "We'd have to weigh the pros and cons of both when the time comes."
Hodgson said that the squash club - which has now incorporated itself as a non-profit group with a board - is discussing with other groups the possibility of creating a multi-use facility.
"We know what it's like to get the rug pulled out from underneath us. We have already discussed and investigated the prospect of creating some sort of multi-use facility," he said. "We've made some casual sort of inquiries with some other groups and the climbing club has made a very initial overture to us regarding how we set up as a non-profit."
The board has also discussed the prospect of joining with the climbing club to see if there is an opportunity to create a facility that would work for both groups.
Gravity Climbing Centre was told late last year that they would be required to leave their current location on Victoria Street by April 2012.
The building has been sold to a company wanting to turn the area into office spaces.
For more information about the squash club contact Dale Summerside at 250-505-3473.