A booming industry, searching for vertical real estate, faces a competitive market For fans of climbing gyms, part of the appeal is the sense of spatial transformation. On the walls that tower over many of the industrial-spaces-turned-gyms that have become home to this fast-growing sport, routes to the top often change every few weeks, with hand holds and grips rotated out and reconfigured.
That feeling of change is familiar to the companies and entrepreneurs seeking to build new gyms to take advantage of the sport?s expanding popularity. Regardless of fitness trends, indoor climbing has a unique relationship with real estate due to the high ceilings and expansive space needed for new facilities. And currently, for many developers seeking to satiate the public?s desire for more vertical real estate?climbing gyms are $400 million-per-year industry in the U.S., according to a 2017 IBISWorld study?the climb has become a bit more challenging. ?Warehouse districts and industrial areas are a little bit of an older model,? says Mike Helt, editor-in-chief of Climbing Business Journal, a publication that tracks the industry. ?It was cheap, big, and perfect. Developers are still looking at those areas, but they aren?t always the first choice. Climbing gyms want to be in up-and-coming, hip neighborhoods in the middle of town, places that are easy to get to.?

A post shared by Urban Krag Climbing Center (@urban_krag) on Mar 25, 2018 at 12:11pm PDT

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