Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Rockin' Fitness was built by the NRABC in 2010.
Elliott Belquist and Evan Savageau
New Rockford's only 24/7 fitness center is now in private hands. The sale of the wellness center building and Rockin' Fitness business downtown was complete as of Jan. 1.
Elliott Belquist, a native of New Rockford who is the physical education teacher, athletic director and a coach at New Rockford-Sheyenne High School, initially approached the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC) board of directors with an offer to purchase Rockin' Fitness last fall.
Belquist and business partner Evan Savageau subsequently formed Rockin' Fitness, LLC. Savageau is an assistant coach for the high school football team and North Dakota Highway Patrol officer. Savageau's wife, Rachel (Fortney) Savageau, is a physical therapist at Peak Performance Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, PLLC.
"Rockin' Fitness, LLC will now be a tax producing business, putting that tax revenue right back into our city," noted Amanda Hegland, Executive Director of the NRABC. "One of NRABC's goals is to encourage entrepreneurship, and it is exciting, from an economic development standpoint, to see individuals venture into business in our community."
The building was constructed by NRABC in 2010 using a combination of loan and grant funds from USDA-Rural Development, the Otto Bremer Foundation and many other organizations. The front, or east end, of the space was outfitted for use as the Eddy County Public Health office and has been leased by Eddy County since. The remaining space opened as Rockin' Fitness, a community fitness center with 24/7 keycard access for members, in February 2011. The NRABC hired an additional staff member to manage the facility.
"Over the past years, our staff at Rockin' Fitness have diligently worked to make the fitness center thrive to what it is today. We are pleased that local individuals with health and fitness backgrounds have purchased the fitness center and will continue growing it. They have great ideas and are passionate about the fitness industry and the community and have a progressive vision for the future of Rockin' Fitness," commented Hegland.
Hegland said NRABC had been approached throughout the past few years by interested parties inquiring about the possibility of purchasing Rockin' Fitness, but Belquist and Savageau were the first to actually present an offer to the board.
"The plan was to always get Rockin' Fitness into a privately-owned business. The mindset was for it to be a tax producing business. The timing and everything just worked out with this offer," Stu Richter, NRABC board president, said. "The people involved are a perfect fit for our community to roll forward with this business."
It will be (mostly) business as usual at the fitness center, according to Belquist. Membership pricing and access will stay the same, at $32 per month for individuals on an annual plan, with discounts for families with multiple members. However, the new owners don't have set staff office hours. Anyone who wants to purchase a membership or has questions about the facility can contact Elliott at (701) 302-0896 or his wife Beth at (701) 302-0895.
Upgrading equipment is a priority, said Belquist. Right now, the facility has a mix of equipment including a strength training circuit, cardio machines such as treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals, free weights and an infrared sauna. Belquist said they plan to upgrade equipment as much as they can for now. Their long-term goal is to build an addition on the west side of the building to make room for more equipment.
In the meantime, help for fitness center users is just a call away. "Evan and I will offer programming services free of charge for anyone that is looking for a fitness plan to follow. Whatever the goals one may have we can make a program to fit those needs," Belquist said. He added that patrons can call him to set up an appointment, and either he or Savageau will demonstrate how to do all the exercises on the plan.
Former Rockin' Fitness manager Jessica Hawkes will continue to offer group fitness classes at the DPRCA Dance Studio. Interested individuals can contact Jessica directly to acquire information about those services. Call or text (701) 799-7122 or join the group on Facebook: Fitness Classes @ The Studio.
