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Seeking Comment on the USDOT TIGER Grant Supplemental Environmental Assessment

11/1/2019

The Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Glacier Rail Park/Kalispell Core Area Development and Trail Project has been available for public review and comment for a 30-day period from October 21, 2019 to November 19, 2019 ending at 5 pm. The document is available in hard copy at the Kalispell City Hall Water Department, the Kalispell ImagineIF Library Reference Department and online at: https://www.kalispell.com/164/Community-Development or https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P1038.

The public is invited to attend public open house events on Thursday, November 7, 2019, from 11 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm at Kalispell City Hall, 201 First Avenue East, Kalispell, MT. City staff will be available to answer questions and take written comments. Interested persons may also submit comments on the SEA to the City of Kalispell via U.S. Mail to Katharine King, City of Kalispell Community and Economic Development department, 201 1st Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana 59901 or via email to kking@kalispell.com. For additional information in advance, contact Katharine King at 406-758-7713. You can also learn more at: https://www.kalispell.com/DocumentCenter/View/2765/Fall-2019-Core--Rail-Redevelopment-Project-Newsletter

Trail & Complete Street 30% Design Submittal Released

8/12/2019

UPDATED 8-12-19
CITY STAFF WILL BE DISCUSSING THE DESIGN DRAFT WITH THE PUBLIC ON AUGUST 13, FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. AT THE PICNIC IN THE PARK CONCERT AT DEPOT PARK. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
The Kalispell Trail & Complete Street 30% Design Submittal (draft) was released by Alta Planning + Design on July 31, 2019. City Staff will be available during the Northwest Montana Fair August 14 thru 16 at the north end of the Expo Building to share information on the TIGER grant Glacier Rail Park and Kalispell Trail project updates. Information on the Glacier Rail Park which was completed in January will be available including drone footage documenting the construction. Additionally, the 30% design plans for the Kalispell Trail will be available for public review and comment. Watch for City Staff sharing this design draft at other community events. The 30% design draft is now available on the City of Kalispell website on the Community Development webpage.

View Progress by CHS and NW Drywall - Drone Footage June 4, 2019

6/10/2019

City Council to Review Trail Concept Design Report

3/8/2019

The Kalispell Trail & Complete Streets Concept Design Report prepared by Alta Planning + Design will be presented for the first time to the Kalispell City Council during their March 11, 2019, 7 p.m. work session. This document represents a refined concept plan. It has been reviewed by the Trail Crew who has proposed several modifications and additions prior to considering it a final document. It is anticipated this will occur within the next two months. The city will also revisit the complete street portion of the project by submitting a Supplemental Environmental Assessment document reconsidering all proposed alignments prior to selecting a preferred route. This should be complete during the summer of 2019. In terms of the overall project time frame, CHS and Northwest Drywall should be moved out of the Core Area and into their new facilities by this fall. Track removal and trail construction would then begin spring of 2020 with completion in late 2020.
Content excerpted from Katharine King's staff report for the work session on March 11, 2019.

Making History - Glacier Rail Park Now Open!

10/12/2018

Photo of staff driving in spikes on the railroad

City, County, and KLJ Staff celebrate with the ceremonial driving of golden spikes.

The Grand Opening of the Glacier Rail Park is now a part of history as the momentous occasion was celebrated October 8, 2018. The Glacier Rail Park expands transportation options for freight movement with the only trans-load facility in the region.

Many of the leaders that spurred this project on to fruition were present at the grand opening of the Rail Park. Speakers like Jerry Meerkatz, CEO of Montana West Economic Development. Senator Jon Tester, a representative from Senator Steve Daines, and City Manager Doug Russell, all spoke to the ability of teamwork and partnerships to make this vision a reality. Tenacity was also a central theme as it took many years and creatively working through obstacle after obstacle to see this day come. Speeches and acknowledgements during the rail park opening ceremony were recorded live on Facebook and video coverage can be found on YouTube. Drone footage of the celebration can also be found at https://youtu.be/346amFjEhoo.

Now we can look to the future of the rail park and to the economic vitality this piece of infrastructure will attract and support. If you think your company might be a good fit for this brand new industrial rail served park, Kim Morisaki with Montana West Economic Development is the person to speak with. She can be reached at 406-257-7711 or by emailing info@dobusinessinmontana.com.

Kalispell Trail & Core Area News Update - Fall 2018

10/2/2018

Rail car tours along the future trail route provided design context.

We had an action packed summer as we began the first steps of preparing a design for the Kalispell Trail.   Over 600 people attended the open houses, workshops and meetings during the Kalispell Trail Deep Dive event the first week in June. Another 300 community members visited our booth at the Flathead County Fair. As summer wound down, city staff set up a booth at Picnic in the Park and Thursday Fest with another 150 people stopping by. We received many great comments. As you know, the new trail will extend from the existing Meridian Trail on Meridian Road, through the middle of town easterly to just across the underpass bridge on US 2 (Idaho). We still need your input. Design ideas and public input will continue this fall with a series of open houses in October.

The Kalispell Trail Crew, a 22-member advisory board, has met 3 times this summer with more meetings scheduled. Their job is to review all the public comments and give city staff guidance as we continue to refine the trail design. Our goal is to have a final design in hand by early 2019 and then we will begin the difficult task of going through the “Master Design” and setting up a priority list of the things that we can afford now and what items will wait for future funding. This will truly be a community driven process. Our goal is to cast a grand vision with community groups, individuals, and future adjacent developments filling in the rest over time. We anticipate that the railroad tracks will be coming out of Kalispell sometime next fall as CHS and Northwest Drywall finish their relocation plans to the new Glacier Rail Park. You may have seen both the CHS fertilizer plant and the CHS grain handling facility (elevator) are literally coming up out of the ground at the new rail park. Much still needs to happen but we are hoping for track removal and trail construction beginning in spring of 2020.

A second and equally important part of this project is the construction of at least one “complete street” allowing an improved street connection between Idaho and Center. Three routes were originally selected – extending 8th Ave. West, extending 6th Ave. West, and extending Woodland Avenue. This summer we focused on the Woodland Ave. extension because we knew that while it rated fairly high in overall community support, there has been long standing neighborhood opposition dating back over 20 years from residents along Woodland Avenue. The neighborhood (Center Street to Willow Glen) reaffirmed their opposition to this street extension during a very thorough scoping process. Based on the strong public showing, the trail crew recommended that this option be removed. We will continue to review the other options.

Purpose of TIGER

Kalispell’s Core and Rail Development project was funded by the US Department of Transportation under a TIGER grant. This grant is expressly intended for transportation purposes. The Kalispell project was awarded on the third submission when the development plans extended beyond the construction of an industrial rail park to include the linear park/trail running through the city in place of the old rail road tracks. This TIGER project is being built in two phases: first, construct the new industrial rail park on the east side of the city with only those infrastructure improvements required to support the rail park; second, construct the trail that replaces the existing railroad tracks running 1.6 miles east to west and construct one complete street connection from Center Street north, again with only those infrastructure improvements required by the primary construction.

Kalispell development project picks up award

9/28/2018

KPAX.com | Mark R. Thorsell

Glacier Rail Park Grand Opening

9/12/2018

Please join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the Glacier Rail Park and thank all of the supporters who have helped the project come to fruition!

To commemorate the occasion, there will be a ribbon cutting, exploration and explanation of the site, refreshments, and a ceremonial driving of a Golden Spike!

Please RSVP to Dorothy Meyer at Dorothy@DoBusinessInMontana.com or by calling 406.257.7711 ext. 2. Please enter the event site from Whitefish Stage.

We hope to see you there!

Rail Park Progress - Video Update

9/4/2018

Watch the video below taken August 29, 2018 to see how progress is coming along at the Glacier Rail Park. A 3-D Overhead Image can also be viewed.

Community Input Opportunities

8/28/2018

Picture of staff talking with the public

The City of Kalispell will have a booth set up at two upcoming community events to talk with the public about preliminary design and trail alignment for the upcoming Kalispell Trail. These are great opportunities to see initial design boards, talk with staff and provide feedback in a fun, relaxed atmosphere while listening to great music.

Come by and talk with us at the final Picnic in the Park concert for the year, Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at
6 p.m. at Depot Park; and
the final Thursday!Fest concert for the year, Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn at The Museum at Central School.