We sincerely thank all of you for signing and supporting this petition. Below is the draft press release written by the two faithful and conscious customers who recently visited the spa. This will soon be released to the Sun and the Northwest Voice with the help of these two people.
- SEOUL SPA IN DANGER OF CLOSURE
The Seoul Spa in Woodlawn, a thriving business serving a diverse clientele with traditional Korean spa services for the past 8 years, is faced with imminent closure.
Set the Captives Free Outreach Center (STCFOC), the new landlord, is threatening to close the Seoul Spa. Since purchasing Security Plaza South, STCFOC has undermined the Spa’s ability to function through a series of physical-plant changes and has resisted attempts by the Spa to seek mutual accommodation through mediation. The case is now going to court.
As Baltimore Sun readers learned in Cory Boteler’s January 29, 2019 piece on the Mall’s purchase for redevelopment. STCFOC, a non-denominational church, will use the 160,000-square foot purchase for a community center. The “O.W.E.” Center’s website says it will include a youth center, mentoring programs, an expanded food pantry, workforce and career development support, and a wellness center. The article did not mention Seoul Spa, that has offered to incorporate its wellness center into the community center concept.
The Seoul Spa has made significant investment in its 8-year rental location including separate men’s and women’s herbal hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, a large gym exercise equipment, rooms for detoxification, wound healing, and circulation improvement, a relaxation area, and a full restaurant, all with hand-crafted wood beams, and Korean sculpture and paintings throughout. Its unique detox rooms include a Himalayan Salt Room, Amethyst Room, Ice Room and Terra Cotta rooms.
Yet the church has undermined the Spa’s ability to continue operating—while the Spa is under lease and before legal proceedings have been completed. Seoul Spa is located on the second floor of the Mall. STCFOC has blocked off escalators (which served as the most accessible stairs for 8 years), requiring patrons to enter the empty Mall from a corner front entrance and make their way through a construction zone to reach the service elevator. Front doors are sometimes locked completely. During frequent service elevator outages, when there is no functioning elevator and/or entrance doors are locked, the customers cannot reach the spa.
Mediation initiated by the Spa with STCFOC was unsuccessful. The church continues to push the Spa to close. A hearing to dismiss the case requested by the church was denied on June 3. The case will go to trial on Monday, June 24 at 9:30 a.m. in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.
Over 2,000 patrons and friends of the Seoul Spa have signed a petition to keep it open. Many have commented describing their attachment to the Spa. https://www.change.org/p/lgbt-keep-seoul-spa-open-in-baltimore-md
“This is a wonderful place to relax. I take my daughter here to teach her about community, body acceptance, acceptance of others, and self-care. The staff is wonderful and the rooms are amazing.”
“The Spa is aaahhhhmazing. Even my husband, who hates spas, loves this place!!”
“The Seoul Spa is a refuge. If it closed, there is really nothing like it to take its place,” said customer, Heather Iliff. “It would be a shame to lose this gem of a place.” -
Accordingly, the case will go to trial on Monday, June 24 at 9:30 a.m. in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. For anyone who can attend, we welcome you to be present and give us support! Thank you for your support to keep the spa open! We will keep you updated on the trial of Seoul Spa.