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Study Underway to Assess Feasibility of Whitefish Convention Center

By Beacon Staff

WHITEFISH – The backer of a proposed $70 million resort complex and convention center in Whitefish has launched a study into the project’s financial viability, and a consultant who arrived last week said he was “impressed” with the area.

The project’s backer, an unnamed Minnesota developer, launched the feasibility analysis in partnership with the Montana West Economic Development and the Flathead County Economic Development Authority. When completed, the study will determine whether Whitefish is suited for such a high-ticket boutique hotel – the 150-room, log-and-stone complex would also feature an outdoor amphitheater, a year-round ice skating rink and a 45,000-square-foot indoor water park – as well as identify a site location for the development.

The complex could create 400 jobs and contribute $2.5 million annually to the Montana Bed Tax, according to projections.

“We are only in the preliminary stages of assessing the feasibility, but the developer has a strong interest in Whitefish. Our job is to see if the developer’s vision fits the market,” Greg Hanis, president of Hospitality Marketers International, Inc., said. “In the one day that I have been here I am impressed with Whitefish. There are a lot of great attributes to the market. You have a large ski area, a national park, a couple of big lakes, and those natural resources are a great asset.”

Other strong points include the Flathead Valley’s proximity to Alberta and British Columbia, Hanis said, and its allure to Canadian visitors, who flock to Whitefish in droves during the winter and summer months. The high airfare and limited number of daily flights to Glacier Park International Airport could put the area at a disadvantage, Hanis said, though he considers Whitefish mainly “a drive-in market.”

“The sole purpose of the study is to answer the question: Is this feasible?” Kellie Danielson, president of Montana West Economic Development, said. “If the project is feasible and the developer decides not to move forward, we’d like to have that information available to other potential developers. And if it’s not feasible, we want to know where the holes are.”

Kevin Gartland, executive director of the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, said the idea of building a large-scale convention center in Whitefish has been bandied about for years as a way to fill hotel rooms during the sluggish shoulder seasons.

“The discussion of building a conference and convention center in this market is ages old, if not decades old, but it’s never really been put to the test like this,” Gartland said. “We found a willing developer, and I think the project has a lot of potential.”

The developer, who wishes to remain anonymous in order to avoid solicitors until after the study is complete and a site selected, did not visit Whitefish last week due to recent health problems. However, he lived here previously and ran several business ventures. His late wife had hoped to some day build a lodge in Whitefish, and the project is dedicated to her.

The study will be completed near the end of July, Hanis said.

“Right now we are basically finding out what Whitefish is all about and what its potential is. I think there are some real advantages and opportunities here,” he said. “Whether the nature of the market is conducive to this project remains to be seen.”