[g-slider gid="192484" width="100%" height="55%"]Both novice and experienced shooters can get their first glimpse of Austin’s newest indoor shooting range, The Range at Austin, a 51,500-square-foot facility at 8301 S. I-35, when it opens in 2016.

The $15 million project is slated to have a soft opening for members before the end of the year, spokesperson Scott Dunaway said Thursday.

The first floor of the building, which will be open to the public and to members, will feature two dozen 25-yard lanes for shooting and five 100-yard lanes as well as retail, display areas, a lounge area, and meeting and event space.

A 6,200-square-foot retail area will be divided into individual areas for different types of firearms, including a 1911 gun room; a room for rifles; a tactical room for guns such as AR-15s; and an everyday carry room for items such as knives, flashlights and accessories. The location will also have a section dedicated to dealing Sig Sauer products.

Some tethered firearms with the firing mechanisms removed will be on display for visitors to get the feel of the products before using them in shooting bays, said Angie Neal, director of sales for membership and private events.

“If you come into the facility, you will feel comfortable if you’ve never held a firearm before, and you will feel comfortable if you have a collection of firearms that outrivals [the guns available in] our retail area,” Dunaway said. “The facility is going to be grounded in training and education.”

Members receive complimentary lane rentals as well as discounts on options such as training and machine gun rentals at the range, Dunaway said. Members pay an initiation fee as well as monthly dues. There are four membership tiers, with core memberships ranging in price from $30-$100 per month.

The 11,700-square-foot second floor, called The Patriot Club, is for premium, corporate and lifetime members, who will have access to a concierge, lounge seating, a cigar humidor, catered events, lockers, conference rooms, additional shooting bays, a patio, and a multipurpose room for member events such as parties and guest speakers, Neal said.

Sometime in the first or second quarter of 2017, the business will add cafe service and offer food and beverages on-site, Neal said. For now, the focus is on opening.

Clayton & Little Architects is the architect for the building, and Sabre Construction, the general contractor, is putting the finishing touches on the project.

More information is available at www.therangeaustin.com.