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SALT LAKE CITY — USA Climbing is turning to a familiar name in Utah's climbing community to operate a climbing gym at its future headquarters in Salt Lake City's Rio Grande District.

Members of the USA Climbing board of directors voted late last month to partner with Utah-based Momentum Climbing on the project, which will include training walls for Olympic and Paralympic athletes, space for "large-scale events" and a commercial gym.

"We are excited to partner with Momentum to advance this historic project," Marc Norman, president and CEO of USA Climbing, said in a statement on Friday, days after the Oct. 27 vote. "Throughout our discussions, Momentum continually demonstrated their close alignment with our mission and support of our goals for the (national training center)."

USA Climbing, the governing body for U.S. competitions in the growing sport of climbing, has eyed a new Salt Lake City training center for years since relocating from Colorado to Utah in 2018. It received $15 million from the Utah Legislature in 2023 to fund a new training center.

The project took a major step forward earlier this year when the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City board of directors voted in July to approve the terms of a 99-year land lease to build the project at 310 S. 500 West. The vote set up the groundwork for a final lease agreement between the city and USA Climbing once funding and other conditions, such as a final design, are met.

"I think this is a transformative moment for that area of the west side," said Salt Lake City Councilman Alejandro Puy, who also serves as chairman of the board, before the vote. "I'm very excited to see activation and some shovels in the ground after so many years of big dreams from this city."

USA Climbing carried out its operator search as lease agreements played out, deciding in May to advance discussions with Momentum Climbing and California-based Touchstone Climbing after receiving proposals from five companies earlier in the year.

Officials explained on Friday they had "extensive" discussions with the two finalists over the past few months. These included site visits and modeling reviews before they settled on Momentum.

Momentum Climbing has six locations in three states, half of which are in Salt Lake County. The company opened its first gym in Sandy in late 2006 before opening additional locations in Millcreek and Midvale, as well as a Seattle location and two in Texas.

In a statement, Jeff Pedersen, Momentum's co-founder and CEO, said the company is "honored" to now work with USA Climbing.

"We look forward to collaborating with Marc Norman and the USA Climbing team as we unite to elevate competitive climbing, and share its benefits with the greater climbing community," he said.

USA Climbing officials said they still hope to break ground next year. It estimates the facility will have an economic impact of over $225 million in its first decade from hosting national and international events. On top of training the Olympic and Paralympic teams, the facility would also be used to help develop youth, collegiate and paraclimbing athletes.

The project could be completed in time to potentially host an Olympic qualifying event in 2027, according to city documents published earlier this year. It's also considered a key piece in the city's ambitious Rio Grande District Vision and Implementation Plan.

However, it was also at the center of a controversy within the city's climbing community. In January, the Redevelopment Agency paused a $2 million loan it had offered The Front Climbing Club to help it expand its footprint in the Ballpark neighborhood.

The Front's owner told KSL.com he believed the decision was retribution for his opposition to a commercial gym inside the national training center project, which he said would be detrimental to his business less than 10 blocks away. Redevelopment Agency officials said statements of his opposition prompted a review of the loan, which is why it was paused.

USA Climbing delayed its plans over a month while it sorted out the concerns, as well.

The Redevelopment Agency eventually unpaused the loan in May after completing "additional due diligence," determining there was "enough financial stability" to move forward with both gyms.

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Carter Williams

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter for KSL.com. He covers Salt Lake City news, as well as statewide transportation issues, outdoors, environment and weather. Carter has worked in Utah news for over a decade and is a graduate of Southern Utah University.