An owner of Bodies by Perseverance, Courtney Samuel, center, keeps an eye on client Julie Reichenberger during a warmup exercise Feb. 23, 2022. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
A local gym has been evicted from its spot near RiNo for allegedly not paying rent.
Judge Mark Bailey ruled April 8 that Bodies by Perseverance, which is owned by a former NFL player and a former Denver Broncos cheerleader, must leave 3030 N. Downing St.
“The landlord shall be entitled to change the locks to the premises,” his order explained.
Bodies by Perseverance began as a small studio along 17th Street in Uptown in 2003, expanded into a neighboring space, then moved to 2209 Larimer St. in 2015. It later leased real estate in Five Points and then the Downing Street location in 2023, records show.
“Our story comes from homegrown people that truly started from ground zero,” Jennifer Samuel, who co-owns it with husband Courtney Samuel, said in 2020. “After the NFL and going into corporate, Courtney and I cashed in our 401(k)s to start our business in 2003.”
Bodies by Perseverance is now down to one location: 2628 E. Third Ave. in Cherry Creek.
In mid-March, the Samuels and their company were sued by GHC Housing Partners, a Los Angeles, California-based firm that owns 3030 Downing St. The landlord claimed Bodies by Perseverance had not paid its $11,667-per-month rent since December or fully vacated the space.
Co-owners of Bodies by Perseverance, Jennifer Samuel and her husband, Courtney Samuel, at their gym Feb. 23, 2022. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
GHC asked Bailey to evict the gym and order the defendants to pay $49,000 in back rent. The judge held an eviction hearing April 8 and agreed to evict them that same day. The question of how much money, if any, they owe for back rent will be resolved later.
The gym’s former 7,330 square feet of space is being marketed for $21 per square foot, according to its online listing. A 4,400-square-foot medical office is available there too.
Courtney and Jennifer Samuel declined to discuss the eviction with BusinessDen.