Content excerpted from Katharine King's staff report for the work session on March 11, 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.
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![]() 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. 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. KPAX.com | Mark R. Thorsell 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! 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. ![]() 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. Flathead Beacon | Justin Franz | August 21, 2018 Trail would include skate park, green space, picnic areas and more ![]() Local residents have their first look at what Kalispell’s new downtown trail could look like. Last week, the City of Kalispell, Alta Planning and Design and KLJ Engineers revealed a rendering of the preliminary alignment of the proposed Kalispell Trail during the Northwest Montana Fair. The proposed trail will replace the former Great Northern Railway line through downtown and connect Meridian Street with Woodland Park. “The reaction to the trail design has been really enthusiastic,” Kalispell Planning Director Tom Jentz said. “People are really excited.” Read the full article HERE ![]() YOU are needed to continue to help steer the vision for the trans-formative Kalispell Core and Rail Project! Come by and visit with city staff at the Northwest Montana Fair in the Expo Building to catch up on progress being made on the Glacier Rail Park and the Kalispell Trail and Complete Street Project and share your thoughts. We will be there Wednesday through Friday this week (Aug. 15-17) from 11 am to 5 pm. Look for the giant screen showing drone footage taken during construction of the industrial rail park. Hope to see you there! The City of Kalispell and consultant Alta Planning + Design sought community and stakeholder input through a survey on three potential trail names each with three logo designs for the proposed Kalispell Trail. About 500 responses were received by the July 31, 2018, survey deadline. The City and Alta Planning would like to thank participants for their thoughtful and valuable responses. We also appreciate everyone who has been helping increase public reach by doing things like forwarding the survey to friends and family.
Information gathered will be analyzed and taken into consideration as we move forward. Further opportunities to weigh in on different aspects of this project will be provided throughout the summer. Look for the City of Kalispell Community and Economic Development booth in the Expo Building at the upcoming Northwest Montana Fair on August 15, 16, and 17, 2018. We look forward to speaking with you. |
CORE & RAIL BLOGCheck out the latest on the Core & Rail Redevelopment as well as other exciting investment and development initiatives happening in the Flathead. Categories |