When businessman Eric Huffine ended up with a 9,000-square-foot space in downtown Ronan, he started pondering what the community needed, and that’s when the idea for Evolve Fitness was born. 

The 24-hour fitness center on Main Street in Ronan is now under construction, with an opening date planned for Oct. 1. It will offer a flex studio space, indoor pickleball court, a fuel station and more. 

Huffine, a born-and-raised Polson resident, has become interested in the community aspects Ronan offers and its lower barrier to entry. With a background in construction, he explained that he doesn’t know much about the fitness industry, but as a lifelong learner, he has found teaching himself as he goes to be the best part of it all. 

“I really do like Ronan and its community and what it has to offer,” Huffine said. 

His ultimate goal is to create a fitness space for everyone, and he is taking his friend's advice to “make it cool enough that people want to hang out” by adding an array of equipment, cold plunges, a sauna, and a patio where people can enjoy a protein shake. 

The sauna and cold plunges will be outside on the back side of the building, with a privacy fence, making the space nearly 10,000 square feet. 

While Huffine said he’s unsure what Ronan’s health journey looks like, he’s brought in local experts, such as Mariah Neiss, who will serve as the gym's general manager. He said that, with Neiss and others serving as personal trainers and teaching group fitness classes, he believes they will build a community. 

With the flex studio space, Huffine said their goal and vision is to use it in collaboration with other gyms in the valley. He explained that the space can host yoga, spin, and dance classes. He added that they’ve discussed offering toddler tumbling to give children something to do while parents work out. 

“I was kind of hoping we could like collaborate with the other gyms in the valley or other trainers and things like that, and build a fitness community,” he said. “Help everybody get started on their health journey.” 

Connected to the gym is a fuel station that will serve as a hydration bar, allowing people to fuel before a workout or recover afterward. Huffine aims to open this section 60 days after the official opening, to allow his staff to gain their footing with the gym first. The fuel station will offer protein shakes and healthy snacks, with indoor and outdoor seating. 

“We're really hoping with the fuel station that we can be a meeting and a gathering place too,” he said. 

Huffine said they are still deciding which pieces of gym equipment they will have in the 24-hour workout area and still need to determine the pricing structure. He aims to have a low base rate for the 24-hour workout area, with additional costs for classes or add-ons. 

While Huffine said they are still a ways out from completion, if they meet their deadlines, it has “come a long ways in the last little bit.”