Montclair Studio Recovers From Fire With New Location, Grand Opening

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A new business has risen from the burned wreckage of Power Stretch Studios… Kika Stretch.

The new incarnation of the Montclair studio – which bills itself as an alternative to yoga - showcases the determination of owner Hakika DuBose, who had to rebuild following a devastating fire last Labor Day weekend.

• See related article: Montclair Biz Damaged In Blaze Holds ‘Fire Sale’

The Sept. 3 blaze at the studio’s facility at 255 Bellevue Avenue caused serious damage that forced DuBose to relocated to a temporary space in the basement of the nearby St. James Episcopal Church.

Meanwhile, during the heated presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, a group of local parents and their children painted a mural on the old studio’s boarded up windows.

It was a display of love and kindness that inspired DuBose… until someone began to repeatedly spray paint over their handiwork with pro-Trump graffiti.

Police eventually apprehended the alleged culprit: a 79-year-old local man.

Things got worse before they got better, DuBose said.

“In late March, a heavy rain storm flooded the church basement again displacing the studio. Rev. Melissa at the church offered space on the first floor in the day care center but the studio could only operate on Saturdays when the school was not in operation. This meant calling all the clients and letting them know we only operated on Saturdays. Due to the compassion and generosity of Rev. Melissa the studio never closed. After nine months renovations in the building were finally completed and on June 30, Power Stretch Studios was back in operation seven days a week.”

DuBose said that the new studio – now dubbed “Kika Stretch Studios” – will celebrate a grand reopening from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. Learn more about the company here.

Photos of the fire-damaged studio via GoFundMe

Photos of the new studio via Kika Stretch Studios

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Photo: Kika Stretch Studios

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