The Dirt: New Spokane climbing gym searching for home

John “Bo” Handy has long enjoyed Spokane-area climbing gyms but he hopes to develop a different customer base. However, his first option for a location fell through.

Handy recently submitted plans to the city of Spokane for his gym, appropriately named The Board Room, for a space located at 715 E. Sprague Ave.

But before he could pursue the interior renovation, the space was leased out by another tenant, he said.

“You see a lot of birthday parties and college kids. Most commercial gyms cater to them,” Handy said. “Which is fine, that model works for them. But I want a gym that serves an adult population of climbers.”

Oftentimes at gyms, climbers aren’t aware of the proper etiquette to ensure a safe and inclusive experience, Handy said.

“I’ve seen people land on kids that don’t know to not stand under a climber. I mean, I’ve almost landed on kids before,” Handy said. “Or you’ll be waiting in line to climb a wall and a kid will just run up there and start climbing it and that’s just because they haven’t learned the etiquette yet.”

Instead, Handy’s gym will operate closer to a 24-Hour Fitness, where patrons are given a key fob and unlimited access to the space, besides the early morning hours.

Additionally, his gym will only feature kilter boards which is a climbing wall that consists of a dense network of foot and hand holds. The board has an LED light system behind each hold that lights up, signifying what holds can be used. The board is approachable to beginners and can be tilted to increase the difficulty for the experienced climbers.

Kilter board gyms are sure to be the preferred model, according to Handy.

“Gyms will sometimes have one but not many gyms have more,” he said. “I hope to open a gym with three or four, along with workout equipment, then scale up to maybe five or six boards.”

Finding the right space and earning enough funding has proven difficult for Handy.

“We need at least a 3,000-square-foot space with ceilings around 16 feet tall,” he said. “We’ve found some landlords that are supportive but we’d have to spend $50,000-$60,000 just taking down walls. I have some funding available but it’s not enough. And I’m a nurse so I’m not going to pay off a loan to bankroll this thing”

While the project is currently on hold, Handy will continue to search for investors and a suitable space.

“That’s the dream,” he said. “To create a tight-knit community where people want to get better at climbing.”

Spokane church makeover

True Hope Church has submitted an application to the city of Spokane to build a 19,000-square-foot expansion to its north Spokane location. The addition would nearly double its size.

The work would span two properties that consist of paved parking and a residential home, located at 1316 N. Lincoln St.

True Hope purchased the two lots in 2017 for $2.57 million, according to Spokane County property records.

The additional space will almost entirely consist of an auditorium, which is planned to be two stories tall.

The second story will consist of balcony seating. The street-level floor will feature a 1,769-square-foot stage, a 678-square-foot chapel, and storage and mechanical storage.

Altogether, the addition will offer seating for more than 1,000 people, plans show.

Church officials hired Spokane-based ALSC Architects to design the project and Baker Construction, a Spokane-based firm, to build it.

The addition is estimated to cost $5.68 million, according to plans.

Efforts to interview executive paster Justin Ocker were not immediately successful.

South Hill

multi

family project

Just north of 29th Avenue across from the Manito Shopping Center, a developer is planning to build a four-plex apartment building, according to city of Spokane records.

The project was dubbed 29th and Garfield after the intersection where the site is located. At 2832 S. Garfield St.; the residential structure will feature private garages, overflow parking and private patios with each unit.

Two units will be on the first story and two on the second story. Each unit will feature two bedrooms and either two or three bathrooms.

The footprint of the structure will span about 4,100 square feet, according to plans.

The estimated cost of the construction is $1.1 million, plan documents show.

The property is owned by Tim Wolff, managing partner for AT Industrial, a real estate development firm based in Spokane Valley.

The fourplex project is a personal endeavor by Wolff and his brothers, Jesse and Peter Wolff, according to plan documents.

Plans were submitted as part of the pre-development process, which gives developers the opportunity to garner feedback from city building officials before construction permits are applied for.

Documents were submitted by Jerod Harwood, architect for Hoist Architecture, a firm based in Post Falls. Harwood was not immediately be available for comment.