BikramYogaWorks, a yoga and wellness studio, shuttered its Mount Vernon location last week after years of challenges.

The business, which opened in the city in late 2018, struggled to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic, co-owner Kendra Blackett-Dibinga, wrote in a post on the business’s website on Sept. 26.

The studio faced “competition, loss of key staff and structural issues in the building” that made it “an uphill climb.”

BikramYogaWorks, which still has studios in Washington and Prince George’s County, offers different types of traditional yoga, hot yoga and Pilates and trademarked “DRIP’T” and “FLEX’T” classes that are focused on aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching. Customers can book cryotherapy, stretch and physical therapy services.

The studio’s former location at 500 Park Ave. neighbors the recently shuttered Mount Vernon Marketplace at 520 Park Ave.

Mount Vernon Marketplace also struggled after the pandemic. It saw low foot traffic and had just three operating stalls when it closed, The Banner previously reported. The shuttering of the yoga studio leaves one business, Ceremony Coffee, in the mixed-use development.

According to BikramYogaWorks’ post, the studio was flooded each year by the outdoor, rooftop pool attached to the 500 Park apartments. The building, owned and managed by The Time Group and its subsidiaries, opened in 2017 with 153 apartments and a commercial space on the ground level.

“Every summer, we faced floods that got worse year after year,” the post reads. “But as the water intrusion worsened, and as the landlord refused to provide sufficient remedy while also seeking to double the rent, it became clear we were being backed into a corner.”

The Time Group did not respond to requests for comment.

BikramYogaWorks plans to keep a presence in Baltimore, hinting at opening a location in Fells Point. It was meant to be a second location in the area.

“Our vision was to expand, not leave Mount Vernon behind,” the post reads.

Blackett-Dibinga, a longtime yoga instructor, declined to provide additional details.

Blackett-Dibinga and her husband, Omekongo Dibinga, founded the studio in 2014 in Washington. The couple opened locations in Baltimore and in Prince George’s County’s Riverdale Park.

The company leaned into virtual classes during the pandemic and continues to provide yoga in hybrid format.

“I fought hard for this studio, but I could not accept terms that ignored both safety and fairness,” the post reads. “I want you to know this: I didn’t give up. I made the choice to protect our values, our mission, and our future.”