City of Westfield pays $625,000 to terminate NinjaZone lease at Grand Park

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Effective June 30 or potentially sooner, NinjaZone Academy will no longer operate out of the Grand Park Events Center. NinjaZone Academy is an organization which provides obstacle training, gymnastics, martial arts and freestyle movement.

However, the City of Westfield and NinjaZone Academy recently reached an agreement to terminate the lease.

During the lease, the city utilized NinjaZone Academy’s leased space during a certain time throughout the year, which temporarily displaced NinjaZone Academy from the space. A confidential settlement agreement and release between the Westfield Redevelopment Commission and NinjaZone Academy stated that a dispute arose between the parties about the value of the leased spaced during the time the city wanted to use the leased space. A resolution for the disagreement was made when the city paid NinjaZone Academy a settlement payment of $625,000 in two installments – each worth $312,500. The first installment was due on or before April 20, and the second is due within 20 days of NinjaZone Academyvacating the space. The settlement was for the purchase of the improvements to the leased space and the remaining amount was buyout for the lease.

In exchange for the settlement, NinjaZone Academy is required to vacate the space by June 30. As of May 10, the organization was still operating out of the space.

“The City of Westfield and NinjaZone have mutually agreed to separate from a lease agreement at the Grand Park Events Center,” City of Westfield Communications Director Vicki Duncan Gardner wrote in an email statement. “After thorough conversations, both organizations found the separation in the best interest of all parties. We wish NinjaZone well and hope the business finds success in a new location. Fortunately, there is demand from businesses to be at Grand Park and we are working to identify the best partner to move into the Grand Park Events Center.”

Also within the settlement agreement, the city agreed it wouldn’t use the leased space for a purpose which directly competes with NinjaZone, such as a business offering programs or classes attempting to replace, replicate, copy or mimic NinjaZone and its offerings. The city also allowed NinjaZone to place a poster-sized sign at the Grand Park Events Center which states the organization has moved locations.

When asked for comment, NinjaZone president Casey Wright directed all questions to her attorney. The organization then released the following statement:

NinjaZone and the City of Westfield have mutually agreed to separate from a lease agreement at the Grand Park Events Center. After thorough conversations, both organizations found the separation in the best interest of all parties. We wish the City of Westfield well and hope they have success with future endeavors.”

NinjaZone Academy announced a merge with Wright’s Fundamentals Gymnastics North on May 3. The new project will combine the gymnastics and NinjaZone programs offered at each current location and will be housed at a new multi-sport center in Westfield. An exact address of the facility was not released, but the facility is anticipated to open in 2020.

Until then, classes for Wright’s Fundamentals Gymnastics North and NinjaZone Academy will be held at the Wright’s North facility, 1021 Kendall Ct.


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