Witness to Flooring Damage @422 Broadway, Suit 202

The most important physical part of a yoga studio is arguably the floor -it’s where everything happens. We walk across it barefoot, and all that separates us from it during the entire class is a thin piece of rubber. In some classes we’re not even on the mats, and spend quite a bit of time on the bare floor. I saw numerous water damaged floor boards at Rise, and at least once had my bare foot pinched in a gap between two warped boards. If I didn’t arrive early enough for class, I risked having to lay my mat over uneven boards, which added distraction and unnecessary challenges to my balance during practice.

The fact that this is a relatively new building and that the Wolfer's had repeating issues with the ceiling leaking is, on its own, appalling. Further, the fact that they are having pursue legal action against the building owners for their sheer negligence is reprehensible. The floors were always an issue - unusable, dangerous, visually unappealing. In my own experiences in this particular space and other Bonacio Construction buildings, I am completely convinced that they cut corners and use cheap materials in the construction of their cookie cutter buildings that are taking over our town. The Wolfer's deserve everything they are asking for in their lawsuit.

The persistent leaks resulting in floor damage has caused students to not have full access to floor space. Personally, I arrive at class early to avoid having to jockey around the uneven flooring, to secure a safe space. Aesthetically, the water damage is substandard for a newer building on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. If I were the owner, I would be ashamed of the poor structural workmanship and strive to remediate the situation.

I am a regular attendee at Rise. All I saw on the part of Justin and all who worked there was great care and attention to the space. They were responsibly trying to get the landlord to be responsible for their end- they were not. It was difficult at times to find a flat area to lay my mat. I am a professional working in the area and would never recommend rental of this space to anyone.

I saw floor damage while taking a class in the space.

While the RISE space is truly a sanctuary, the floors always seemed to be an issue and consideration. Many times, as we would configure our mats for class, we would have to leave open spaces where the floors were damaged and it was not safe to practice.

I’ve have loved going to Rise since it’s opening, enjoying the top notch teaching, community, and positive, generous atmosphere. I was saddened to watch the beautiful space of the studio slowly deteriorate over time, making it difficult to fill the room to its potential occupancy and disrupting what was otherwise a truly enjoyable class. As classes were often either filled with people or utilized the entire studio space with across the room movements, my practice was often complicated by needing to avoid the damaged aspects of the floor. I know how much care the Wolfer’s put into maintaining the space, and how thankful they intially were to be able to set their studio up in such a space. It is a true shame that they were unable to access support from those who built and managed the property as the water damage occurred and spread across the room.

Please fix the floor

For a period of many, many months, half the studio space was not usable. You simply can't practice yoga on an uneven floor - it's unsafe. And a yoga studio without a safe floor is like a restaurant without functioning kitchen. Ridiculous.

I have seen the damage at RISE. As a landlord myself, I find it pretty amazing that this problem was not immediately resolved, if only for the benefit of the property owner. In my lease/s any water problem is highlighted as a "must report immediately" item, in bold lettering, so that I can fix the problem immediately to both protect the property and to make sure the tenants are not inconvenienced. The fact that this/RISE's problem has been ongoing, after evidently several reports of the problem, is almost inconceivable in its level of irresponsibility.

I visited rise during its opening week and despite loving the classes taught by Cammy and Justin I did not return due to the warped and displaced floor which made practicing difficult and dangerous. Its such a shame as I would have loved to continue practicing with Cammy and Justin at Rise but the state of the floor made this impossible for me.

I didn’t realize it was a leak at the time, but I got dropped on in a class. Not huge amounts but felt in hair and had drops on my mat.

Having to scoot and squeeze during practice because of the damages was pretty ridiculous!

On several occasions I have witnessed the warping of the floor, the mismatched new pieces of flooring and practicing yoga a top the uneven surface. As a business owner myself, I know how both the aesthetic appeal of a studio and the functionality of a solid space can have an impact on a customer's experience, first impressions and referral of the business. Justin and Cam are incredible Instructors and business owners, however, a space that is not functional will unfairly reflect poorly upon them in a highly competitive market. This is unjust given all they give to the community and the quality of instruction and business they give.

Took a class at the studio, and while the instructor was great the floors appeared to be damaged. With a yoga class being all about being rooted and so much time spent on the floor barefoot, I found it off putting. I did not choose to get a membership as a result.

Uneven warped floors, do not promote a safe environment to work out in.

The damage to the floors has been affected my experience at Rise. No one feels comfortable practicing yoga on uneven flooring. It feels unsafe and that you cannot challenge yourself in your physical practice, as you don't know how the floor will react to your movement.

I have been a member of Rise for over 3 years. The situation with the flooring has been a nightmare, unsafe, problematic as we do yoga and are moving and in balancing poses. I love the owners but could not bring friends or recommend the studio with the floors buckled, warped, gapping. The amount of usable safe was minimal at times, making for an unpleasant yoga class. If I were’t already a member, I would not as a new customer join the studio solely because of the condition of the floor, it would be a deal breaker. It was horrendous.

I have caught both my hands and my feet several times on the uneven floor while practicing yoga at RISE.

As not just a member of the Rise community, but also a student of the Rise Teacher Training program, I have spent countless hours in the Rise studio and have witnessed firsthand how the substandard construction of the building led directly to the buckling, warping and ultimate destruction of the studio flooring. One occasion stands out starkly among the rest; a Tuesday evening Warriors Dance class. It was exceptionally hot and humid as class began so we had windows open to create a cross breeze. As the class proceeded, the skies grew dark and the weather unsettled. A distant thunder queued Justin to close all the windows as it was evident a summer storm was about to roll through. A light patter of rain on the windowpanes was soon replaced by howling winds and sweeping sheets of rain against the building. Inside the implicit safety of the studio, we continued our practice. Moments later the class was abruptly interrupted by the sound of water pouring onto the floor. Justin ran to check the windows as did students only to realize the water was not coming from a window, but rather the ceiling and the walls. The rain whipping against the outside of the building was now cascading into the studio and onto the floor. The shelf with blocks, wraps, and blankets was drenched and was quickly relocated across the room to avoid further saturation. Floor cushions were soaked, and student near the wall scuttled away with their mats to a dry section of the floor; of which there were few. Consolidated to higher land, we finished class but the studio floor was never the same after that. Large sections of the flooring in the days and weeks thereafter warped, developed swells and jagged edges. Class sizes almost immediately grew smaller due to the unsafe conditions and unusable floor space. One of the tenets of the studio’s philosophy is having a connection to the earth; to the ground beneath you. If there is an uncertainty as to the sturdiness and safety of the ground beneath you,