Editor’s note: This is one in an ongoing series of stories highlighting Tyler’s businesses in need of patron support during ongoing construction for the Downtown Improvement Project, which is expected to last through January 2028. Through this series Taylor’s Morning Telegraph aims to reach a wider audience and send more patrons to the business to experience each one. Stay tuned for more features in the coming weeks.
Brightly colored artwork surrounds the fitness equipment inside Downtown Iron, a 24/7 gym that brings accessibility, community and physical and mental health experiences to downtown Tyler.
Owner Luke Heberl said the fitness center focuses on weightlifting with a variety of options for training classes and recovery techniques such as saunas and cold beds, inspired by his travels in Finland.
“It’s a cool gym,” Haberle said. “Chill gym, hot sauna, cold dip’ is really the motto so just go at your own pace, lift some weights and just get out there and be consistent.”
Launch
After working for almost 10 years, Haberl wanted to use his experience to start his own company to fill a needed gap in the city.
“That was really the place that inspired me,” Haberle said. “I thought it would be a really good place for a gym with its industrial vibe, columns and bricks.”
A downtown iron landmark, the SH Kress & Co. building, shares a palette studio, Balance Taylor, which owns the space. The city recognizes the building, now called Balance, located at 116 West Irvine Street, as the last department store built by the company in Taylor, known for its classic 1930s style.
“It was already a kind of personal training gymnasium,” Haberle said. “So I had the idea to turn it into a 24-hour gym and add a few more pieces of equipment to make it possible, and I felt like people needed another gym downtown.”
The City Center iron takes the top spot on the Balance Taylor.
Haberl said he personally handled all renovations to the gym, working up to 14-hour days to create an area that matched the building’s capacity and his vision.
He officially opened the doors of Downtown Iron in March 2023, with the intention of creating a low-stress community environment with options for low- to high-intensity workouts.
“Our members love the atmosphere and the art,” Haberl said. “There’s no front desk, so there’s no sales. When I’m at the gym, I don’t like people bothering me or looking at me, so I think a lot of people like that there’s no staff.”
Membership experience
Downtown Iron offers many options for a customizable gym experience.
Heberle said the gym offers individual membership plans for $48 to $79 with no enrollment fees or long-term contracts and couple or family plans. The gym also has classes members can take for free, two certified personal trainers, with a sauna and air conditioning. To sign up, Haberle said individuals sign up online, pay, sign a waiver and then type in a unique code for that individual to enter the building.
“You don’t have to meet anybody or talk to anybody if you don’t want to,” Haberl said. “You just sign up online, and you’re good to go.”
Members are required to check-in on an iPad or use the posted Quick Response (QR) code before entering the main gym area.
Haberle said the class is offered free to members every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with Tuesdays and Thursdays focusing on leg strength. Members also have the option of working with two certified personal trainers, Graham McCauley and Michael Godwin, who work with individuals on everything from weight loss guidance to nutrition, strength and muscle building, athletic training. Members discuss payment rates with coaches.
“They’re really good coaches,” Haberl said. “You don’t have to do it yourself. You can come to the classes for free and we let non-members try a class for free once to see if they like it.”
Huberle and the trainers manually inspect all equipment to ensure condition and quality, and the gym offers a very rare Norwegian-made Plant Builder Hip Trust machine.
“This is the best hip press machine on the market and I don’t think any other gym has it,” said Haberle. “Overall this gym is something you can’t get even in big cities because of the quality. So if someone comes from a big city or just moved to Taylor and thinks it’s a small town, they probably don’t have a good gym, that’s not true.”
Focus on the gym
Downtown Iron focuses on the physical and mental side of wellness, Heberle said.
“Our saunas and ice baths are about recovery, but also mental health,” Haberl said. “Sauna reduces anxiety levels and both keeps your cardiovascular system healthy.”
According to the gym’s website, the sauna exposes the body to high, dry heat to induce intense sweating that relaxes muscles and lowers blood pressure, and involves soaking in cold water that helps muscles recover and, over time, improves blood flow, according to the gym’s website.
“I went to Finland to encourage me to bring the sauna and ice bath here because I really liked it,” Haberle said. “There, it’s part of their daily routine to help prevent heart disease.”
Haberle said most of the gym’s members are between the ages of 20 and 40, but the gym welcomes anyone 12 years of age or older.
“I feel like wherever people come from, I don’t think they’ve ever seen a gym like this,” Heberl said. “People should check it out because I think this gym is a plus for anyone who lives here.”
Structural challenges
The City of Tyler and Summit County’s joint downtown development project plans to revitalize downtown by 2028, but the current reality for Square business owners includes road closures, some road closures and limited parking access until at least mid-2026.
Haberl said the city’s construction projects have put pressure on membership numbers.
“It was honestly pretty bad,” Haberle said. “Some people can’t find it, they can’t drive or they don’t like the parking situation. I’ve had people leave because they couldn’t park before, so that’s causing problems for sure.”
Haberl said he knows when the project is complete, it will help his gym grow, but in the meantime he hopes the city will provide a stipend to businesses on the square.
“I feel like out of the $25 million, they should have given every business here a little bit so they can live a little bit better,” Haberle said. “I can survive, but other businesses are definitely having trouble from what I’ve heard.”
Heberl said that despite the construction, he’s still seeing his gym grow, just at a slower temporary rate.
“The web is powerful and the community is powerful,” Haberl said. “I have people who still come to the gym, even if they can’t park in front, which just gives you an idea of how much people enjoy the gym and is a testament to its quality.”
Options for parking
There are several parking and transit options for patrons within walking distance of downtown restaurants and businesses:
- Plaza Tower and public parking lots A and B, located on North Bois d’Arc Avenue, are free after 5pm and on weekends.
- Free Smith County Parking Garage, located at 210 East Ferguson Street.
- Free Fair Plaza Parking Garage, located at 208 South College Avenue.
- Regions Bank parking lot, located at 100 East Ferguson Street.
In addition, two-hour parking is available on any open street.
The city also partnered with Taylor Valet to offer a fixed-route shuttle service with clearly marked pick-up and drop-off points.
The city says shuttle stops are easy to find, with bright yellow signs throughout the city. Riders can transfer at any stop along the route at no charge.
The City Evening Shuttle operates from 6pm to 10pm on Thursdays and from 7pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.Stops include:
- Stop 1: Broadway Ave Side of Fair Plaza Parking Garage (Tyler Transit Bus Stop)
- Stop 2: W. Erwin St., in front of Liberty Hall
- 3rd Stop: E Ferguson St. Enter the Smith County Parking Garage
- Stop 4: Northwest corner of Ferguson and College Ave intersection (Plaza Tower)
- Stop 5: Plaza Tower Parking Lot (N. Bois D’Arc Ave.)
- Stop 6: Southeast corner of College Ave and Elm St intersection, (Fair Plaza Parking Garage)
For a complete guide to downtown Tyler parking, visit tylerpaper.com/2025/12/28/parking-guide-navigating-downtown-tyler-during-ongoing-construction.
For more information about Downtown Iron or to sign up, visit downtowniron.com.
For more information on the downtown improvement project and the proposed timeline, visit www.mytylertexas.com/downtown-improvement-project.
#Local #owner #continues #build #downtown #iron #specialty #gym #strength #fitness #focus #Taylor #Morning #Telegraph