More choices in area for fitness facilities

The sudden growth of health clubs in North Idaho is astounding.

Not only does it mean that more people evidently are health conscious, but also that some of the area’s large, empty buildings are getting worthy occupants and at least one grand, new facility is being built.

The bottom line is that people have many health club choices. They can choose by facility, equipment, training, comfort options, attitudes of employees, classes offered and, of course, price. This column doesn’t have the space to list all those; it lists only what will be new and not the existing outfits. So explore the details on your own.

360 Fitness to old Tidyman’s

Acie Henley purchased the business that has been Oz Fitness at 208 Coeur d’Alene Ave. and is changing it to 360 Fitness and moving it to the former Tidyman’s building at 410 W. Neider Ave., just west of U.S. Highway 95. He is using 15,000 square feet of the space between the Grocery Outlet and the $1 Store.

360 Fitness opened Friday in the downtown location and plans to move to the remodeled building on Neider from Aug. 20-25 with 10 to 20 employees. It will include separate rooms for aerobics, cycling, steam rooms in both men’s and women’s locker rooms, cardio and free-weights options and a day care.

“The main focus is to have a place where everyone feels comfortable and welcome,” said Henley. “We provide the highest standards for personal training and fitness instructors as well as customer service. We want you to feel like family.”

Hours at 360 Fitness are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Phone 667-5010.

Gold’s Gyms to downtown, Hanley

After 360 Fitness moves, Gold’s Gym will take over and remodel the 208 Coeur d’Alene Ave. location as well as what had been the Rex Appliance building at 262 W. Hanley Ave. Opening date is planned for Sept. 20 at both places.

Owner Rob Howard purchased the 26,000-square-foot downtown facility, which includes a regulation swimming pool, hot tub, gym, racquetball courts, locker rooms with steam rooms, rooms for cardio exercise, aerobics, cycling, weights, dry and wet saunas and Kids’ Clubs. The 12,000-square-foot Hanley facility will have most of the above except for the pool and hot tub.

Educated in physiology at North Idaho College, the University of Idaho and Seattle Pacific University, Howard purchased the downtown building and is leasing the Hanley place. Gold’s Gym is affiliated with its international company that has 610 gyms in 42 states and 30 countries. It began in 1965, and its headquarters is in Irving, Texas. Check www.goldsgym.com. Locally, phone 762-7755.

Ironwood to be Peak Health in Riverstone

While the earlier-mentioned outfits are using existing buildings, Ironwood Athletic Club is building an 88,000-square-foot facility on the northwest side of the Riverstone Pond. And it will be renamed Peak Health and Wellness Center along with the company’s other eight facilities, including newly remodeled World Gyms in Hayden, Post Falls, four in Montana and two in Western Washington.

With construction beginning this month and opening next spring, the $15 million Riverstone facility will include indoor and outdoor lap pools, a basketball/volleyball court, weight room, five group-activity studios, cardio equipment with viewing screens and a cardio big-screen theater, indoor tennis, squash and racquetball courts, a lobby with a fireplace, pro shop, juice bar, conference room, member lounges and children’s activity center.

The owning DART Club Management comprises Chip Althen, Jack Tawney, Gary Retter and Jim Doty. The new facility will add to the current 60 employees.

Ironwood Athletic Club’s current, 27-year-old, 45,000-square-foot facility was purchased by SRM (Riverstone’s) development team. Its future is undetermined.

For Peak Health and Wellness Center information, phone 667-2582.

Here are this week’s tidbits:

•August is a great month to stay around with this weekend’s Art on the Green and Taste of Coeur d’Alene at NIC, the City Park and downtown, the Parade of Homes the next two weekends and the Wooden Boat Show midmonth. Add “Les Miserables” at Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre the upcoming three weeks and you can’t go wrong!

•OK. Readers ask if there’s more “real” English words that our U.K. visitors revealed. Here’s “skimming” (skipping) a rock in the lake, a lad looking for a “pull” (kiss), a pushy person is “bolsh,” a person who catches cold easily is “nesh,” and the punctuation around quoted words are “speech marks.” That’s all, folks!

•Aaaargh! Last weekend I said the new real estate offices downtown are confusing. Especially to me as I had them backward. Re/Max is at 221 Sherman Ave., and Select Brokers is at 311 Sherman Ave.

•The Bangkok Thai Restaurant planned for the complex in the northwest corner of U.S. 95 at Neider Avenue no longer is happening. So, the complex now has openings of 4,000 and 3,200 square feet. Call Clark-Pacific at (509) 325-3333.

•Today would be the 69th birthday of my sister Diane, who died of cancer two years ago. I miss her.