el paso may see construction of its first indoor skydiving location

A sleekly modern structure that will house a 12-foot tall chamber and wind tunnel, designed to give patrons the sensation of flying in the air, may soon be going up on the north side of El Paso.

The Austin-based Flyzone LLP wants to build a nearly 5,000 square foot facility on a one-acre site at 430 Vin Rambla Drive that will be part of its popular and growing I-Fly franchise.

The company, which may spend as much as $12 million to build its first El Paso facility, currently has nearly 40 locations globally, with sites up and running now in 14 states.

Members of the El Paso City Council are expected to vote on an incentives package through the city’s Economic Development Department that would provide up to $162,000 in tax rebates over a three-year period to get the project built.

The I-Fly experience, described as similar to sky diving without the bother of jumping out of a plane, is made possible by air that is pushed down the sides of the building to the ground floor, and then lifted into the chamber creating a cushioned air effect.

Construction on I-Fly’s El Paso site could begin later this year.

By Garry Boulard