Craft Brewery, Climbing Gym Now Open At Revived Newark Building

NEWARK, NJ — A craft brewery/taproom and a rock climbing gym recently opened their doors at a revived building in downtown Newark.

The latest additions to the historic Walker House building at 540 Broad Street include Newark Local Beer, a 6,300-square-foot brewery and taproom, and Method Climbing + Fitness, a 22,000-square-foot indoor rock climbing gym.

LMXD, Prudential Financial Inc. and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group gave more details about each new business in a news release.

NEWARK LOCAL BEER

According to the release:

“Founded by husband-and-wife beer enthusiasts Stephen and Miller Hughes, Newark Local Beer is the first craft brewery and taproom to open in Newark in decades. Located on the ground floor of the historic Art Deco Walker House building, the 6,300-square-foot brewery and taproom serves a variety of stellar craft beers such as IPAs, stouts, sours, hard seltzers and seasonal beers. The family- and dog-friendly taproom offers entertainment for all ages including foosball, ping pong and cornhole, and has a large private event space for events.”

“We want to bring back Newark’s rich brewing history by providing clean, delicious craft beers,” Newark Local Beer owner Miller Hughes said.

“Our goal is to create a community of beer enthusiasts who see Newark Local Beer as a fun and welcoming destination in downtown Newark,” Hughes added.

METHOD CLIMBING + FITNESS

According to the release:

“Method Climbing + Fitness, the first indoor rock-climbing gym in Newark, is located on the first and lower levels of Walker House and includes the gym, retail space, and an eclectic cafe. The gym is open to everyone aged 7 and above, and includes 12,000 square feet of climbing terrain, nearly 8,000 square feet of bouldering terrain with 15-foot-high walls and more than 4,000 square feet of roping terrain with 30-foot-high walls. Rock climbing is a fun and challenging sport, and Method's top priority is to provide an inclusive and exciting environment. Its highly trained staff are available to help anyone at any skill level. Method Climbing offers adult and youth climbing classes, clubs, camps and group events. In addition to climbing, the gym also features modern weight training and cardiovascular equipment, as well as group fitness classes, such as yoga and Capoeira classes at no additional charge to its members.”

“As long-time residents of the city, we are thrilled to bring climbing to Newark,” Method Climbing Gym owner Min Chi said.

“The sport is a focal point in our lives, and Method combines our passion for climbing with our strong sense of community,” Chi said. “We are so excited to welcome everyone to the Method family.”

WALKER HOUSE

Walker House is LMXD, Prudential and Goldman Sachs UIG’s latest Downtown Newark investment in partnership with Citi Community Capital.

Formerly home to the New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building, the landmarked Walker House is now home to luxury and affordable housing units, as well as office/retail space. Residential units available include studios through three-bedrooms starting at $1,875 per month.

The ground floor of the building houses a UPS Store, and in April 2019, Walker House welcomed tech training nonprofit Per Scholas to its office space.

Walker House’s 53 affordable units were leased through a lottery administered by the building’s management company, C+C Apartment Management in the fall of 2018.

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