Loveland building code officials closed the “American Ninja Warrior”-inspired Wolf Den Training Facility for failing to meet building codes.
The city order the gym to close in late December after several months of communication with partners Noah Kaufman and Ian Dory about issues with code compliance.
With help from other partners, Kaufman and Dory opened the gym in an 18,000-square-foot leased warehouse in July. Both men are former contestants on “American Ninja Warrior.”
But the owners failed to get the building inspected before signing a lease that required them to make necessary changes to bring the warehouse up to code before using it as a gym. They also failed to get a certificate of occupancy.
John Schumacher, Loveland’s chief building official, said the gym has several issues including a parking lot that needs to be paved and lit at night, clear travel paths to exits, installing an adequate fire suppression system and making sure there are enough toilets. Gym owners also were expanding offices inside the warehouse to create a party room without a permit.
After the city-mandated closure, Kaufman said the Wolf Den has submitted a request for a certificate of occupancy, and hopes to be back open in two to three weeks.
“No one from the city ever said, ‘Before you sign a lease, you have to have it inspected,’ (or) ‘Make sure everything is up to code,'” Kaufman said. “I’m an ER doc, and I’m learning on the go.”
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