Construction of Climb Iowa, the state’s first commercial dedicated climbing gym, is under way, according to owner Diane Bridgewater.

Bridgewater and her mother, Carol Crane, both of Johnston, own the two-acre building site located on the corner of Miehe Drive and Northwest 54th Avenue near Exit 127 in Grimes.

Alan Bowman, an architect with Environmental Design Group, said that repeated attempts to find an existing building with high enough ceilings to accommodate a 36-foot climbing wall proved to be a challenge, leading to the decision to build in Grimes.

Location was also taken into consideration, Bowman said, adding that most of the gym’s customers likely will come from suburban areas and have enough disposable income to afford the services.

It’s a “destination facility” he said.

Bridgewater said Climb Iowa is a “reasonable-sized gym” for the Midwest and foresees the “social and physical appeal” of the facility helping to retain younger Iowans in the work force.

“Our whole market is people who don’t climb,” said Bridgewater, referring to Climb Iowa’s focus on training and recreation. “I believe that Climb Iowa will provide an activity for young adults that will help Des Moines attract and retain the work force it needs in the future.”

Climbing is an “excellent form of exercise” – that is both aerobic and low-impact – for both younger and older adults, she said.

Ball Construction Services LLC, the general contractor, began construction of the 10,104-square-foot building in May. Leading Edge Climbing Walls Inc. is slated to start constructing the indoor climbing walls in August. When Climb Iowa opens in November, it will boast 9,000 square feet of climbing surfaces.

In addition to the 36-foot climbing wall, the gym will accommodate a bouldering wall, three multipurpose rooms that can be used for youth events or group training seminars, and locker and shower amenities.

Climb Iowa is being built using recycled construction materials and will feature high-efficiency lighting, low water-usage plumbing fixtures and geothermal and in-floor radiant heat. Though the focus is on green practices, the “payback” of pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification on a metal building “wasn’t quite there,” said Bowman.

Bridgewater and her husband, Gary, will operate the business, along with three full-time employees. Bridgewater is the vice president and chief financial officer of Life Care Services LLC in Des Moines. Her husband is the president of Baker Group.