Councillor Kate Taylor, cabinet member with responsibility for sport and leisure, said the council was looking at “transforming what is now a specialist facility into something that supports much wider participation”.
The council said since the centre opened in 2012, a number of alternative facilities had become available across the city and the wider region.
It said substantial investment would be required to continue meeting essential safety standards and remain competitive with other facilities.
She added: “We need to fully understand the impact that any changes would have, not just on current and potential climbing members but also on affected staff.
“I would therefore encourage people to take a look at the proposals and share their thoughts with us over the coming weeks so that we know how Plymouth people feel about the proposals.”
