THE HEIGHTS

What THE HEIGHTS does

THE HEIGHTS is a 73,000-square-foot municipal community center and memorial library located at 8001 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, Missouri, originally built in 2000 and substantially renovated in 2020. It is operated by the Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks & Recreation Cooperative (PARC), a municipal inter-governmental partnership established in 2003 between Richmond Heights, Maplewood, and Brentwood (the latter as an affiliated partner) that enables resident-rate access to a shared portfolio of recreation facilities. The facility houses what is described as one of the largest municipal fitness centers in the St. Louis region, an indoor aquatic center (lap lanes, recreation pool, hot tub, lazy river, steam room, sauna), a gymnasium, childcare/tot care, a youth fitness room with interactive equipment, the Richmond Heights Memorial Library, and various meeting and event spaces. An affiliated seasonal outdoor facility, the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center (MFAC), offers a recreation pool with two-story slides, a competition pool with lap lanes and diving boards, and concession operations.

THE HEIGHTS monetizes through a diversified municipal recreation revenue model: annual and seasonal memberships, daily admission (with restricted access for non-residents), program fees (swim lessons, youth camps, group fitness, tot care, Active Adults programming), and facility rentals (pool parties, pavilions, fields, meeting rooms). Pricing is dual-tier — resident (Richmond Heights, Maplewood, Brentwood) and higher non-resident — with corporate pricing available for employees working in member communities. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via walk-in facility visits, online registration through the WebTrac platform, and digital marketing (website, Facebook, Instagram, monthly Constant Contact newsletter, Heyzine digital brochure). The customer base spans families, fitness users, aquatic users, youth/childcare, active adults/seniors, and event renters across three inner-ring St. Louis municipalities; weekend access is restricted to members and residents.

As a municipal parks and recreation Co-Op, THE HEIGHTS is government-funded rather than venture-backed, with operations supported by municipal appropriations layered on top of fee-based revenue. Ownership commentary explicitly notes no venture capital, private equity, or individual ownership interests are involved. The operating model is structurally low-growth and geographically constrained by the three-community catchment, with strategic optionality limited to incremental program expansion (e.g., Kids Day Out, deep water fitness, combo passes) and modest promotional pricing levers rather than market expansion or M&A.

Name

THE HEIGHTS

Legal name

Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks & Recreation Co-Op

Website

https://myheights.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

THE HEIGHTS is a 73,000 sq ft municipal community center and memorial library in Richmond Heights, Missouri, operated by the Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks & Recreation Cooperative (PARC) for residents of Richmond Heights, Maplewood, and Brentwood, offering fitness, indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities, youth and senior programs, childcare, and event rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Recreation Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Municipal recreation services
• Community fitness center
• Aquatic programs
• Youth camps childcare
• Facility rentals events

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and seasonal memberships providing unlimited access to fitness facilities, aquatic center, and member-only hours on weekends. Includes resident and non-resident pricing tiers.
2. Daily Admission: Per-visit fees for non-members including youth, adult, and senior daily rates. Daily admission requires resident ID or guest accompaniment.
3. Program Fees: Revenue from youth camps, swim lessons, fitness classes, tot care, and special events programs.
4. Facility Rentals: Rental income from rooms, pavilions, fields, and pool parties for private events, meetings, and celebrations.
5. MFAC Season Passes: Summer season passes for the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center outdoor pool with combo pass discounts for existing THE HEIGHTS members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

THE HEIGHTS is a municipal community center and memorial library operating fitness facilities, an indoor aquatic center, youth programs and camps, tot care/childcare, Active Adults programs, and event rental spaces. It is run through the Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks and Recreation Cooperative (PARC), serving residents of Richmond Heights, Maplewood, and Brentwood with member and resident-rate pricing across the Co-Op's facilities including the seasonal Maplewood Family Aquatic Center (MFAC).

Product overview

THE HEIGHTS is a unified community center and memorial library facility operated by the Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks and Recreation Cooperative (PARC). The organization offers a portfolio of integrated recreational services including a 73,000 sq ft fitness and aquatic center with indoor pool, steam room, sauna, and hot tub; group and personal fitness training; swim lessons; youth camps and fitness programs; tot care/childcare; facility rentals for events; and Active Adults programming. An affiliated partner facility, the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center (MFAC), provides seasonal outdoor aquatic amenities. The cooperative structure enables residents of Maplewood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood to access all facilities at resident rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maplewood Family Aquatic Center (MFAC): Outdoor aquatic center featuring recreation pool with zero-depth entry, two-story slides, lazy river, and competition pool with lap lanes and diving boards.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks & Recreation Co-OpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The Maplewood & Richmond Heights Parks & Recreation Co-Op provides all three communities (Richmond Heights, Maplewood, Brentwood as affiliated partner) with expanded access to parks, recreation programs, facilities, and rental opportunities. Residents receive resident-rate pricing at amenities including Brentwood Ice Rink, Maplewood Family Aquatic Center (MFAC), and THE HEIGHTS Community Center, as well as discounted rates on select programs, facility rentals, and park reservations. The partnership traces its roots to 2003 when PARC was established to enhance recreational opportunities through regional collaboration and shared resources.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Great Rivers Greenway: St. Louis regional greenway and parks connector serving the same metropolitan area as THE HEIGHTS. Adjacent ecosystem player focused on outdoor recreation infrastructure rather than indoor community-center services.

Broad incumbents

• Planet Fitness: National low-cost fitness chain with multiple St. Louis metro locations. Comparable as a competing fitness option for the same consumer base, but lacks THE HEIGHTS' aquatic depth, youth programming, and community-center integration.
• Lifetime Fitness: National premium fitness operator with broad amenity mix including pools, group fitness, youth programs, and family programming. Comparable to THE HEIGHTS in amenity breadth but operates as a private commercial entity at premium price points.

Direct peers

• City of Maplewood Parks and Recreation: Maplewood is a Co-Op partner city in PARC and operates MFAC (Maplewood Family Aquatic Center) jointly with THE HEIGHTS. Directly comparable as a co-governing municipality with overlapping resident base and shared programming responsibilities.
• City of St. Louis Recreation Division: Municipal recreation operator for the City of St. Louis running community centers, pools, and youth programs. Comparable in funding model, programming breadth, and target demographic to THE HEIGHTS.
• Jewish Community Center (JCC St. Louis): JCC St. Louis runs a large membership-based community center with fitness, aquatics, youth programs, and cultural programming. Comparable to THE HEIGHTS in operating model, scale of facility, and integrated community-recreation positioning.
• Gateway Region YMCA: St. Louis-area YMCA operates multiple membership-based community recreation centers with fitness, aquatic, youth, and senior programming. Closest direct comparable to THE HEIGHTS because it serves similar families and individuals on a subscription model with comparable amenity mix.
• City of Brentwood Recreation Center: Brentwood is an affiliated Co-Op partner of THE HEIGHTS through PARC and operates its own recreation facilities including the Brentwood Ice Rink. Comparable as a peer municipality sharing residents and operating similar recreational programming.
• St. Louis County Parks and Recreation: County-level municipal recreation operator offering pools, fitness centers, programs, and facility rentals across a multi-municipality footprint. Directly comparable in scope, funding model, and service mix to the Co-Op structure underlying THE HEIGHTS.

Emerging players

• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Multi-location swim school operator with St. Louis area presence focused on swim instruction. Comparable to THE HEIGHTS' swim lessons offering but specializes narrowly in aquatic instruction rather than full recreation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweet
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHeightsRH
• Instagraminstagram.com/theheightsrh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-heights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THE HEIGHTS