Fitness Center Feasibility Study in the Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area

The brand-heaviest gym record in this batch

Colorado Springs shows a franchise share of 63.8% for fitness centers, nearly two of every three loans. SBA lists 47 loans for FY2017 to FY2026 with $28.7 million approved. The median of $275,000 is 1.06x the national figure, with quartile edges at $100,000 and $567,000. Fitness is 6 of 39 here, the location quotient is 1.20x, while the metro lands 52 of 608 nationally.

Program and geography

Of the 47 loans, 42 are 7(a) and 5 are 504. El Paso County, CO carries all 47. Only The Huntington National Bank clears the 7(a) listing line, at 5 loans and $1.4 million, drawn from SBA's holder records with no judgment of the bank. The loan counts say little about which brands those are, so a borrower should read the specific franchise record, not the market average.

Years that print

FY2017 printed 6 loans and $3.1 million, FY2023 printed 9 and $3.2 million, FY2025 printed 9 and $4.6 million, and FY2026 printed 6 and $9.0 million, the biggest dollar year of the four. FY2018 to FY2022 and FY2024 are withheld. Dollars rather than loan counts drive that last year, which implies larger individual projects.

Floor, with no ceiling

Cancellation after approval takes 18.8% or more of FY2017 to FY2024 approvals. The 47 loans support no ceiling and no charge-off rate, so that floor stands alone. All 47 gym loans belong to El Paso County, which the 2023 list names as part of this metro.

The Colorado Springs gym study

With a franchise at nearly two-thirds of the loans, the study should price the franchisor's buildout standards, fees and territory, and compare them with an independent concept. Military households and seasonal outdoor recreation both pull on gym demand, so the study should say which members it expects. Check class and equipment mix against the footprint, run coverage at $275,000 and near $567,000, and note that an 18.8% cancellation floor argues for slack in the opening schedule. Seasonality matters too: a gym that fills in winter may thin out when trails open, so month-by-month membership assumptions deserve scrutiny, along with parking and visibility at the proposed center.