Binghamton climbing gym may become reality: What to know about California company The Pad
Climbing fans will be overjoyed to hear a new California-based climbing gym has plans to open a location in Broome County, about two miles from Binghamton University.
Last year, residents told the Press & Sun-Bulletin one of their hopes for the reimagined Oakdale Commons was a climbing gym. The dream for such a facility in Broome County may come to be a reality by the end of 2024.
The Pad Climbing, founded by wife-husband team Kristin and Yishai Horowitz, has two locations across two states, with plans for a third in Santa Barbara, California.
In late 2024, the couple plans to open their first East Coast location in the Binghamton area, although the exact location has not been publicly announced.
How did The Pad start?
Yishai Horowitz, along with other founders, started The Pad in a San Luis Obispo self storage unit due to a lack of well-organized, accessible climbing gyms in the area. Kristin Horowitz was brought on early to help run the organization, and the pair have run The Pad as partners ever since.
The Pad was immediately successful, and in 2005, the group was kicked out due to new management and the success of the operation. At this point, The Pad became the country's first nonprofit climbing gym and opened a new location in 2006.
The Horowitz couple were married in 2011, and following multiple expansions and experiments, The Pad became a for-profit organization in order to take on loans and investors. This led to three locations, one in Las Vegas, and another one in Santa Maria, which closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kristin Horowitz said The Pad's team and tight-knit relationships formed with local communities and leaders will allow the group to open across the country and still represent what they stand for, while offering a great space for local climbers.
"We went from gyms that me and Yishai operated with friends part time to a huge operation with 30 employees at each location, management issues, learning how to hire, learning how to train and making so many mistakes along the way," said Kristin Horowitz. "Thanks to the acquisition of the Vegas gym, we brought in some amazing people that are part of our headquarters now, and we are confident we will be able to remote manage because of that gym."
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What to expect at The Pad climbing gym
In a blog post on their website, The Pad owners said the gym will include about 14,000 square feet of climbing, with on-site parking.
The building, which will mirror the setup at other Pad locations, is 42 feet high at the apex, and will include 5,000 square feet of bouldering, 8,000 square feet of rope climbing, a designated training area with moon board, campus board and a full weight room along with a kids area and lounge. The Pad gyms are open 24/7.
How The Pad owners picked Binghamton
Kristin Horowitz's parents went to high school in the Triple Cities area, where many family members still live. Horowitz, who traveled with her parents to the area for high school reunions and vacations, said she thought the area was perfect for a climbing gym.
The project progressed slowly for a while, and Horowitz said initial research into the right building for the gym was lackluster. However, following the death of Horowitz's father, which came after the death of her mother, things fell into place very quickly.
Just weeks after her father's death, Horowitz received interest from local investors, and a call stating their real estate agent had found the perfect building. After Yishai Horowitz toured the area and the building, the two decided it was time to move forward in Broome County.
Horowitz said support from family, local interest in a climbing gym, local investors, and a building just right for the project all came together to make the Binghamton area the perfect location for their next gym. After posting the idea on Reddit, Horowitz said the support they received was second to none.
"It feels like the type of love from when we first started the little non-profit gyms," said Horowitz. "I shouldn't be surprised because Binghamton has always been that for me — Binghamton is a community. It is starting to feel like the entire community wants to pull together to make it work, so it has never been easier for us which is amazing."
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Climbing gym eyes Binghamton area thanks to owners with local ties
