Lexington Climbing Gym

[pigsteak]

so what is the point of breaking even for all the headaches, liability, and time involved? just so selfish climbers can have a training ground?

[reospeed]

well he's a climber too. It cost him about 35,000 to open, and he's made it all back. Now, he's a stay at home dad with his baby and his wife is a teacher. He is rarely there during open hours of 3-10. Everybody is really supportive and helpful. I hope he doesn't have a lot of headaches.

[wu.cactus1]

Forums Like this are a waste of time...all it is is just talk about how a gym could be started in lexington and all the great ideas that would have to come together in order to keep it in from tanking, nothing serious ever happens and everyone sits back slightly hopefully, but in a year will still be climbing in the small greasey home gyms, choosy excuses for outside bouldering, and still clipping the same bolts they clipped last season in the red because there is no good training facility in lexington. Yes this would be good if there was any hope of actually starting a gym/co-op, and all this brain storming for ideas could get put to good use but the truth is, lexington isnt getting a gym/co-op any time soon...while places like slo-op and dbc thrive in cities filled with gyms and close great climbing...kentucky in general is a sad excuse for a climbing community...yeah we can raise money for the rrg and put together organizations that keep climbing in the gorge possible, but yet when it comes to starting a small climbing facility it is close to impossible...I dont understand, perhaps I am ignorant to the whole process and have no idea what I am saying...

[pigsteak]

let's start with the basics cactus....you go to a bank for a loan to rent/buy a building and fill it with assets. the bank asks what your assets will be that they are loaning the money for. your answer is either you will be buying plywood and drilling holes in it, and buying plastic grips to put on it, or some company is gonna come in at twice the cost and custom design some fiberglass features.. so the banker says, you are spending 100K on wood and holds that will be virtually worthless to the bank should your business go under.
not a good way to start a relationship. bottom line...gyms are very physical asset intensive with virtually zero resale value to the bank.

universities can do the climbing wall thing becasue it is taxpayer money and there is no profit motive.

trust me on this one. the guy who was going to start the commerical gym here runs two successful gyms right now, and he was hard pressed to see the revenue stream adding anything to his bottom line. its not about, but about financial reality.
if this dude could make $30,000 a year for himself, he'd do it in a sec.

like I have said tens of times. you find a building with at least 35 foot clearance in the 7,000-10,000 sq foot range with reasnable lease arrangements, and that gym will be here. but it ain't gonna happen, because the climbing community is cheap. like andrew said 80% of gym users never touch real rock.

[Saxman]

Thank god. wu.cactus1 should have his gym open by Feb 1st.

[toad857]

i get tired of people saying "oh you live so close to the red, why would you ever climb in a gym?!?!" i guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, though.

anyway, there are lots of reasons....

even living right next to the red does not mean that you can just up and go whenever you please...

you always need a partner
and reasonable weather
and LOTS of spare time (climbing at a gym only requires that you get out of your car and step inside... the red is always more complicated than that, regardless of how close you live)

gyms: id rather live farther from the red with one, than live close without

it would be awesome to have a gym in lexington. it would be a shame to let this tremendous surge in the red's popularity (and climbing popularity in general) slip on by... that being said, i'll build one myself soon enough. a lot of people are still considering it in lexington. first one wins.

[clif]

pigsteak, i'll take your word for it, but i'd be interested to know the specific differences that exists between Lexington society (not climbers as you say, cause they don't make the profit, right?) but just the general population and the areas where his two profitable gyms are. overhead/real estate?

three universities w/ five indoor walls, students/staff only. community center cheap with very limited hours. two gyms, out in remote commercial/light industrial areas, pricey of middling design. what i'm getting at is that it's getting the right pieces to fit together more than obstacles.

[clif]

like I have said tens of times. you find a building with at least 35 foot clearance in the 7,000-10,000 sq foot range with reasnable lease arrangements, and that gym will be here.

Probably, I'd think there might be a few more options.

but it ain't gonna happen, because the climbing community is cheap. like andrew said 80% of gym users never touch real rock.

Nonsequiter. This is the same logic that odub was using to bolt cracks.

[pigsteak]

clif, yes real estate prices...

because fayette county has such strict zoning, commercial real estate is at a premium. horse farms rule the day, so the town will only stretch out so far. The gyms I speak of are Upper Limits in Bloominton, Il and St Louis. Real estate, per capita is Waaaaaay more affordable in those two locales. The owner could not beleive the lease rates they wanted here for smaller buildings than what he has now in those two places.

ok, so I don't bludgeon the elephant standing in the room on this one...kentucky has a VERY unhealthy population, and that is a strike against any "alternative" health club coming into town and making it. don't throw me stats...we all know the reailty. kentuckians are overweight and smoke too much. couple that with lower wages and high real estat prices, and you really need to make your venture attractive.

as toad said, maybe someone will step up and build this gym. I hope so. i'd be stoked as well.

[clif]

l...... so the banker says, you are spending 100K on wood and holds that will be virtually worthless to the bank should your business go under.

ah, Pigsteak, always fighting for the Great American Way.