DENVER (KDVR) – Metamorphosis Fitness, a queer-based gym in Denver opened its doors back in 2017 at a location off Colorado Boulevard. The gym’s goal is to focus on both physical and mental strength for members of the LGBT community.

“Even though there are multiple gyms owned by my community in Denver, we are the only one who specifically caters to [the LGBT] community, 85% of our members identify as a part of that community,” Styler Ells, Owner and Manager of Metamorphosis Fitness said Sunday.

Ells said there aren’t many sober social places for the queer community in Denver, but that the gym offers that.

“Our focus is: Move your body, [and] when you move your body, you will be better mentally physically and spiritually,” Ells said.

Ells said the gym’s original landlord kept their rent at a manageable amount. However, that changed when a new landlord took over between 2021 and 2022.

“The person we were working with — who is no longer with the company — we had conversations about common maintenance costs, the triple net charges and taxes,” Ells said. “The conversation we had was the rent we were paying covered all of those additional costs.”  

But come December of 2021, Ells received their bill and was a bit shocked about the cost.

“Then in December of 2021, we received our bill and it had an additional $2,500 tacked on,” Ells said.

Ells said in 2021 they were paying $5,250 a month. When they got the bill for January of 2022, the additional maintenance charges and taxes, made the total nearly $7,600. Ells said this amount exceeds their monthly income after paying their coaches, insurance and software costs.

Ells said, as the owner, they don’t pay themselves out of this business.

“We anticipated our rent going up each year but we didn’t expect all the CAM charges,” Ells said.

The management company is Drake Asset Management according to Ells. Ells stated though, that the company is totally in their rights, as outlined in their lease, to charge the extra fees. They said it was just a surprise and a good lesson to get everything in writing.

Ells has started a GoFundMe to help keep the gym’s doors open. If you’d like to donate you can do so here.

FOX31 reached out to the management company, but because the story was published on a Sunday, we are giving them time to get back during regular work hours.