Emerge Fitness Manager Rachelle Root trains on a fly machine Thursday. Emerge opened earlier this month as the newest fitness club in Austin. Trey Mewes/trey.mewes@austindailyherald.com

The newest fitness club in town wants to be a nice, easygoing place on the east side of Austin, according to Emerge Fitness Owner Linda Smith.

“We definitely want to be known as a neighborhood club,” Smith said.

Smith and her husband decided to open Emerge Fitness earlier this month after they saw a need for a fitness center on the east side. Emerge Fitness, at 207 11th St. NE, is the 10th such fitness business for the Smiths, who own clubs in North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

Emerge Fitness opened earlier this month as a co-ed fitness club. Trey Mewes/trey.mewes@austindailyherald.com

It took a few weeks to get everything running at Emerge, which is located at the old Curves Fitness location. The Smiths brought in top-of-the-line equipment from a Snap Fitness from Fargo, North Dakota, to prepare for Emerge’s opening.

Since its first day on July 9, Emerge has drawn in plenty of residents who used to go to Curves, according to Smith.

“But now their husbands are joining them,” she said with a laugh.

Emerge plans to reach out to the community over the coming months and offer corporate rates for area businesses, among other promotions. Emerge is open 24/7 as well.

For more information, call Emerge Fitness at 507-396-8464.