DEVELOPING IN THE CORE AREA

Developers considering Kalispell’s Core Area can rest assured that they will be fully supported every step of the way by the City of Kalispell. The City understands each project is unique and requires a customized plan to ensure success. We’re here to simplify the process, find solutions and answer questions such as:
Interested in development in Kalispell’s Core Area? Contact the City of Kalispell’s Community Development Manager, Katharine Thompson, at 406-758-7713 or kthompson@kalispell.com.
  • What is the process for approving a development request?
  • What is the general timeframe for having a project reviewed and approved?
  • How will the City's planning department partner with our organization throughout the development process?
  • As a developer or new business in the Core Area, what kind of support can I expect from the City of Kalispell?
  • Are there any incentives for building in the Core Area?
  • Given that much of the land is located near a railroad track, is there any assistance offered for environmental clean up?

CORE & RAIL MAP

Are you curious about the development environment in the Core Area, Glacier Rail Park and surrounding Flathead Valley? Dive into a detailed look at the Core Area, Kalispell’s TIF districts, recent developments and more with this interactive map provided by the City of Kalispell’s GIS team.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Montana’s economic picture has been changing dramatically in recent decades, and communities across the state are trying to ascertain where they fit into the picture. In their search, they look to cities that are modeling growth in tourism while simultaneously incorporating new economic opportunities in technology, manufacturing and a diversity of other commercial areas. 

In short, they look to leaders like Kalispell.
Kalispell is one of the fastest-growing cities in Montana and the foundational pillar of an increasingly diverse economy in the Flathead Valley. It is the retail, professional, medical, educational and governmental center of the region, serving nearly 150,000 people in Northwest Montana and millions of visitors each year. 

Kalispell boasts some unique attributes.  It is surrounded on all sides by beauty and endless opportunities for outdoor recreation: Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Flathead Lake, and much more. It’s not surprising that Glacier Park International Airport is likewise expanding and seeing record numbers of visitors arriving to both do business and vacation in the area’s unparalleled landscapes.

But it’s not just visitors who are attracted. People are coming from all over the country to work and live here.

Doctors who are respected worldwide in their fields are choosing Kalispell Regional Healthcare as their employer, and the hospital is growing on nearly every front from pediatrics to oncology. Technology companies that you would expect to find in Silicon Valley are instead setting up shop in the Flathead Valley to take advantage of a better work/life balance. Financial and retail services, among other sectors, are further driving economic growth and development, with those keystone industries filtering through the rest of the local economy.
The Core & Rail Redevelopment will not only complement this growth, but accelerate it, opening doors for expansion in new areas of the economy. Among other transformational undertakings, the project will rejuvenate and develop a section of the city’s core that has struggled in recent years due to having rail at its center. Outdated infrastructure has led to abandoned buildings and blighted land. The heart of town needs a steadier heartbeat.
The Core & Rail Redevelopment brings that heartbeat, reviving life in this former industrial belt. It will spur investment in vacant and undeveloped properties located on or near the trail. The improvements will impact a wide swath of the local economy: offices, hotels, retail businesses, high-density housing and more. In the meantime, the CRR’s Glacier Rail Park will create jobs and expand industry. The domino effect will be significant. Kalispell has been an economic model – a leader – for communities across Montana. The Core & Rail Redevelopment is Kalispell’s next step in building an environment that leads to greater community success.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN KALISPELL
Kalispell is at a key moment in its evolution, with a slate of cultural, economic and governmental factors coalescing to transform the city. 

Its mayor and city council have found key partners in the local chamber of commerce and county government, and with local businesses. A number of public-private partnerships are taking shape. There’s a plan, a vision and, importantly, the will to convert those good ideas into working projects.

They say it takes a village. In Kalispell, that means it takes government officials, civic leaders, school administrators, business owners and the diverse population that forms the backbone of the community. Just look around town and you’ll see that the village is busy developing a future together.

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

Kalispell Brewing Company

After lovingly restoring a previously empty building on Main Street, Cole Schneider and Maggie Doherty opened this brewery to much acclaim in 2014. It joins a long, and growing, list of breweries throughout the Flathead Valley. With its rooftop seating area, there aren’t many better places to spend a summer evening.

Sykes

One of the most cherished landmarks in Kalispell, this market originally opened in 1905. Doug Wise purchased it in 1945, added a restaurant in 1976 and a pharmacy in 1981. Sykes became renowned for its 10-cent coffee, down-home cooking and friendly atmosphere. In 2010, Ray Thompson purchased the building and gave it a thorough makeover, although he made sure to keep the business’s original spirit intact. While the food remains down-home, Sykes now also boasts a neighborhood grocery store and living units on the second and third floors.
The Toggery opened a new location in Downtown Kalispell in 2015
Photo By: Cou Cou Studios

The Toggery

Last year, the popular Whitefish clothing store expanded into the historic Gambles Department Store on Main Street. The 22,860-square-foot store had sat vacant for a decade before Trek Stephens restored it and opened up shop, adding one more layer of revitalization to Kalispell’s downtown core.

Brannigans

This Irish Pub opened in 2012 to much acclaim. Located in the historical Loading Dock building, a historic railroad warehouse in the heart of Kalispell, Brannigan’s has built a reputation as a go-to destination for both nightlife and dining.

​7 Main Street

Public-private partnerships are valuable economic catalysts, and this project is a prime example. The owners of this building, through such a partnership, were able to conduct a renovation of the façade on Main Street while preserving the second-floor apartments and preparing the main floor for future retail.

OTHER PROJECTS & INNOVATIONS IN AND AROUND KALISPELL

Kalispell Alternate Route

City officials and economic leaders have long sought an alternate route for Kalispell traffic, particularly for large semi-trucks, routing them around the city perimeter rather than through the downtown. After 25 years in the making, the north portion of the project has been completed in the form of a $32-million, four-lane bypass that relieves downtown traffic congestion. The Bypass also provides convenient access to Kalispell’s west side while connecting south Kalispell with the growing north end. In unison with the Core & Rail Redevelopment, the bypass is opening up the city core to investment and development, making it safer and more attractive to pedestrians and motorists alike.

Kalispell Regional Healthcare

With a sprawling medical campus, Kalispell Regional is the primary health care provider for a large region extending throughout Northwest Montana. It’s the county’s largest employer with 2,700 employees, and it is constantly expanding its workforce. Attracting doctors and specialists with global reputations, the hospital is dedicated to developing its campus with its workforce and the population in mind.  Kalispell Regional is adding a women’s and children’s center to be completed in 2018 that will be among the best in the Northwest U.S. It is also in the process of a full remodel of its Emergency Room and the completion of the third, fourth and fifth floors of its surgical tower, all slated for completion in 2017. A new Digestive Health Institute facility is also slated for completion in 2018.

Depot Place

This project is an early showcase of the Core & Rail Redevelopment’s potential to spur investment. The owners of a one-acre piece of land along the railroad in downtown Kalispell built a 40-unit, senior living center specifically to be positioned along the trail as the Core & Rail Redevelopment plan unfolds. ​

South Kalispell Plan

This plan provides a vision and viable framework for development and redevelopment along the corridor at the south entrance to the city. It helps ensure that Kalispell can grow sensibly and in balanced fashion while the north side continues to boom.  It also provides direction for the local city airport.

Kidsport Complex

Originally built in 1999, this 128-acre athletic complex has grown to include 30 different playing surfaces for multiple levels of youth baseball, softball, football, soccer and more. Its Miracle Field is specially designed for individuals with disabilities. The fields are currently undergoing a $1.4 million expansion adding parking and updates to sewer and water infrastructure, along with sub-grade work for six new multi-purpose fields.

Spring Hill Suites Marriott

This 100-room hotel is an important component of a large-scale development planned on the north end along U.S. Highway 93, just south of Costco. The 28-acre development is expected to include at least a dozen other businesses onsite, many of which are in place now. The SpringHill Suites Marriott opened June, 2015.

Flathead Valley Community College - FVCC

Enrollment at FVCC has soared in recent years, with students of all ages and backgrounds either seeking foundations for new careers or knowledge to expand current careers. With respected departments in industries such as manufacturing and nursing, the community college is providing training for high-paying jobs that have ripple effects throughout Kalispell and Northwest Montana. On-site campus housing was completed in 2017 offering students expanded housing options.

BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN KALISPELL
Considering development or investment in the Core Area? We’re here to help! Katharine Thompson, Community Development Manager for the City of Kalispell, will be happy to answer preliminary questions and connect you with the right resources and people. 

Contact Katharine at 406-758-7713 or kthompson@kalispell.com. ​
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