Davis Gymnastics Club Eyes Car Lot For New Facility

DAVIS (CBS13) — A gymnastics studio wants to take over an empty car dealership in Davis, but so far, no deal as the city deals with its own balancing act.

Davis Diamonds Gymnastics already is in a giant facility, but the owner says its become so popular, it's not big enough.

So now they're fighting City Hall, trying to move out of their cramped quarters and into a bigger building.

"We are really dependent on high ceilings," owner Hilde Aune said.

The owners say after a five-year search, they found a new space, double the size, in a very different setting.

They want to move into a n empty Ford dealership in the Davis auto row, but the planning commission said no.

Now the gym's owners and their hundreds of students are appealing to the City Council.

But Davis council members CBS13 spoke to say the city is already stretching every dollar, and that losing potential car sales tax revenue could be crippling.

"I feel a real conflict on it," Councilman Stephen Souza said. "Auto sales is 50 percent of our sales tax base."

"We can't look at it in a vacuum," Mayor Pro Tempore Rochelle Swanson said. "It's disconcerting that it's portrayed as phantom revenue versus kids, but that's really not it."

It's an uncomfortable position for the city to be in, striking a balance between revenue and family fun.

Right now, there's no telling how this vote will land, but Aune said the new gym would be a benefit to the city.

"This is why people move here to Davis," Aune said, "because it's a great place to raise kids. I raised two kids here."

Davis Diamonds has 40 employees. Their current lease ends in six months and the owners say if they can't move into the dealership spot, they will be forced to leave for Dixon.

The City Council votes on Tuesday night.