Denver is on track to get a sprawling new bathhouse complex called Coba, a cluster of connected buildings and gardens planned just south of the Auraria campus in La Alma. The backers are selling it less as a one-time splurge and more as an everyday “social wellness” hangout, and they have already been testing the concept with a traveling prototype sauna called Cobacita on the site while they raise money and refine designs. If financing and city approvals are secured, they are targeting an early 2027 opening.
Plans, Price Tag And What You Will Find Inside
The team pegs the buildout cost at about $27 million and says the campus is set to feature roughly 13 different thermal experiences. On the list are a 60-seat ritual sauna, multiple cold plunges, steam rituals, solaria, group soaking pools, and a café. Memberships are being floated at around $220 a month, with single-visit passes expected in the $50 to $75 range. The founders have told reporters they are planning for roughly 300,000 visits a year and about 90 to 100 jobs once the place is fully up and running, according to The Denver Post.
Where It Will Sit And Who Is Building It
Coba is planned for a roughly one-acre parcel at 1339 Osage Street in Denver’s La Alma neighborhood, just south of Auraria. The site is a former industrial lot that the development team purchased last year for roughly $3.2 million to $3.5 million, according to local reporting and public records. The project is led by CEO Memphis Orion, with Jon Medina serving as chief creative officer and Adam Lerner as chief strategy officer. Carl Christensen, a former Meow Wolf executive, is listed as CFO. The crew has already set up Cobacita, a wood-fired mobile sauna, on the property as a public preview of what is to come, as reported by BusinessDen.
Geothermal Heat, State Support And The Technical Side
To keep all that hot and cold water in check, the developers are planning a thermal energy network tied to a field of 500 to 800-foot boreholes beneath an on-site parking area. The system is designed to tap stable underground temperatures for heating and cooling throughout the bathhouse campus. The project has secured a state tax credit reservation worth about $526,200 through Colorado’s geothermal incentive program, a subsidy the team says will help pay for the thermal infrastructure, according to ColoradoBiz.
Economics, Staffing And The Timeline
Organizers say they have already closed some early equity and are in an active investment round while they work through the city permitting process. Materials on the Coba investor page outline fundraising targets, membership projections, and operating assumptions that underpin their visitation and staffing estimates, including the goal of roughly 300,000 annual visits and 90 to 100 jobs. For now, the group is juggling investor outreach, pre-opening sessions at Cobacita, and the usual permitting steps while they line up contractors and capital in pursuit of that early 2027 opening, according to Coba Bathhouse.
Before any major construction can start, the project still needs final city approvals, along with the standard redevelopment permits for a downtown site. Neighbors and city planners are expected to watch closely how the team handles questions of public access, pricing, and overall neighborhood impact. Local coverage suggests Coba could evolve into a new kind of civic gathering spot, part hospitality venue and part community center, if the concept holds up in Denver’s market, according to Denverite/CPR.
