Bouldering gym opportunity

Member since 2026 · 1 post · 2 votes

Exploring the development of a modern bouldering gym/community fitness concept in the fast-growing Boerne/Leon Springs corridor.

I come from a construction/development background and have identified a potential commercial site around 1.1 acres.

The concept focuses on:

recurring memberships
youth programs
café/lounge
fitness/training
community events

Currently validating market demand and exploring conversations with strategic partners interested in experiential commercial concepts in high-growth Texas markets.

Would love to connect with others who have experience in fitness, climbing gyms, or commercial development.

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Jamie Hora

Developer · San Antonio · Member since 2016 · 157 posts · 85 votes

3mo

Hi Ali. I am a civil engineer in San Antonio and the majority of my projects are commercial developments. I'm happy to connect if there are specific development questions regarding the site you are looking at. I do work in San Antonio, but tons of work around the City and across Texas as well.

I cant speak to any of the questions about your proposed use, market demand, finances, but can assist in any development questions relating to the site and/or civil aspect of things. (Platting, Utilities, Access, Stormwater, Permitting, etc..)

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Jamie Hora
Developer · San Antonio · Member since 2016 · 157 posts · 85 votes
3mo
Hi Ali. I am a civil engineer in San Antonio and the majority of my projects are commercial developments. I'm happy to connect if there are specific development questions regarding the site you are looking at. I do work in San Antonio, but tons of work around the City and across Texas as well.
I cant speak to any of the questions about your proposed use, market demand, finances, but can assist in any development questions relating to the site and/or civil aspect of things. (Platting, Utilities, Access, Stormwater, Permitting, etc..)
1 Reply
Henry ClarkPro Member
Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3mo
OP. I would just google and look up places in Texas you can go vet. Just in Omaha (smaller mareket) there are two Climbing Gyms.
No one here, or very few can vet your program, but come back with the REI side of the equation.
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- Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
  Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
  3mo
  Quote from @Henry Clark:
  
  OP. I would just google and look up places in Texas you can go vet. Just in Omaha (smaller mareket) there are two Climbing Gyms.
  No one here, or very few can vet your program, but come back with the REI side of the equation.
  
  you need those climbing gyms in Iowa for all those tall peaks there to be scaled.. kind of reminds me of Yosemite Valley when I go out to Sioux City :)
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- Henry ClarkPro Member
  Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  3mo
  Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
  
  Quote from @Henry Clark:
  
  OP. I would just google and look up places in Texas you can go vet. Just in Omaha (smaller mareket) there are two Climbing Gyms.
  No one here, or very few can vet your program, but come back with the REI side of the equation.
  
  you need those climbing gyms in Iowa for all those tall peaks there to be scaled.. kind of reminds me of Yosemite Valley when I go out to Sioux City :)
  
  There actually is a Fundraiser in Omaha where you can Belay or rope down the Tallest building in town. I think I would rather jump out of a parachute, which I never have. My niece does Rock climbing. It takes a special Body type, which I have 3 of.
  1 Reply
- Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
  Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
  3mo
  Quote from @Henry Clark:
  
  Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:
  
  Quote from @Henry Clark:
  
  OP. I would just google and look up places in Texas you can go vet. Just in Omaha (smaller mareket) there are two Climbing Gyms.
  No one here, or very few can vet your program, but come back with the REI side of the equation.
  
  you need those climbing gyms in Iowa for all those tall peaks there to be scaled.. kind of reminds me of Yosemite Valley when I go out to Sioux City :)
  
  There actually is a Fundraiser in Omaha where you can Belay or rope down the Tallest building in town. I think I would rather jump out of a parachute, which I never have. My niece does Rock climbing. It takes a special Body type, which I have 3 of.
  
  there was one of these specific gyms close to me in Lake Oswego it seemed popular. Myself I used to go respelling in CA but only few times too scary for me in real life.
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Nyron Isaac
Member since 2024 · 144 posts · 27 votes
2mo
Developing an experiential bouldering and fitness concept in the Boerne/Leon Springs corridor is a phenomenal macro-demographic play. That market features the exact high-household-income, youth-sports-driven family profile required to support premium recurring memberships and high-margin café/event operations.
With your construction background, your primary underwriting filter on that 1.1-acre site will be the parking-to-square-foot ratio. Gyms and cafés carry aggressive municipal parking minimums that can quickly compress your building envelope once you factor in mandatory stormwater retention basins. Ensure you review the local zoning height restrictions early, as your clear-span structural steel shell will need a 24+ foot height profile to accommodate climbing walls and training mezzanines safely.
Skip traditional retail banks that will stall your project with personal DTI audits. Because this functions as an owner-occupied commercial business, structure the deal via an SBA 504 loan or an Alternative Commercial Construction Bridge Loan under an LLC. A specialized private platform can fund up to 80% to 90% of your total land and build costs, crediting your land equity and engineering soft costs straight as your down payment. This maximizes your capital velocity and keeps your liquidity completely free to scale the operations.
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Alyssa MarquezBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · San Antonio TX / Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2023 · 117 posts · 25 votes
20h
I love this concept, in particular the blend of climbing, fitness, youth offerings and community space as opposed to simply memberships. I'm interested to hear from a real estate/development side about how the site specifics-worked-parking, visibility, access, ceiling height/cost of construction, number of memberships needed, etc. to sustain this. It would be great to speak with someone who has actually been the operator of a climbing/gym or specialty fitness center. Definitely interested to follow the progress of this!
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Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
20h
We have a collection of pretty sweet bouldering gyms here in Columbus. The same company also has a large high ceiling facility also. That has a gym in it for members and personal trainers worked out of there. We found the place through a personal trainer, so while it wouldn't potentially be the main money maker there is potential down stream revenue from "non climbing" people if outfitted with a gym as mentioned. We just stopped going because our trainer left and we moved to a different part of town that made it hard to get there.
[email protected]614-362-2231
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Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
20h
thought of one more thing - worth looking at the Alphaland development and what they did there in sugarland TX. really incredible facility, not likely exactly what you are looking to do but can kinda show you whats out there - the guy who built it vlogged most of the experience if you wanna check it out, his name is Christian Guzman - he owns 3d energy and alphalete apparel also, pretty cool guy to follow if you're into building brands and stuff like that as an aside.
[email protected]614-362-2231
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