The Downtown Athletic Club permanently closed following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The building was four blocks south of the World Trade Center, which had been destroyed in the attacks. The Downtown Athletic Club building was not damaged, but the building was part of an exclusion zone that the public could not enter for an extended period after the attacks. At the time, the upper floors were undergoing renovations, and all the windows were open, which caused debris and other material to seep into the building. In addition, the building's abandonment led to gradual deterioration of other elements such as peeling paint, burst water pipes, and malfunctioning elevators. The extended closure caused significant decreases in the Downtown Athletic Club's finances, so it considered merging with another club.