“We’re looking forward to a very busy 2015,” Diane Medler, director of the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau, told the crowd of business and community leaders at last week’s Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Coming off a banner year for tourism, the Flathead Valley is poised for another bustling run over the next 12 months with visitation and overall economic activity slated to continue making strides.
Medler and Joe Unterreiner, president of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, touted last year’s achievements and this year’s prospects at the monthly chamber meeting on Jan. 21.
Over the past year, Kalispell further established itself as a regional trade center and popular visitor destination, according to Medler and Unterreiner.
The Tourism Business Improvement District saw a 6 percent increase in revenues in fiscal year 2014, and the so-called shoulder seasons have seen heightened activity, Medler said. The organization is now focusing on building a stronger winter season.
The upcoming year will feature familiar signature events that have become popular attractions, including the Montana Pond Hockey Classic, the Montana Spartan Race, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Montana High School Rodeo Finals. The Pond Hockey event, Feb. 20-22 at Foys Lake, is expected to feature nearly 60 teams this year. Last year’s inaugural event drew 51 teams, 91 percent of which were from out of market.
The Montana Spartan Race will be a two-day event this year, May 9-10. This year’s event will include a 13-mile, 20-obstacle “Beast” race on Saturday and the 5-mile “Sprint” on Sunday. The two-day event is expected to bring over 8,500 racers this year. It will be held at the same location as the previous two years.
All together, CVB events generated an estimated $5 million in economic activity last year.
Nearly 100,000 square feet of new retail space was added in the city last year. Further gains are expected to continue this year, primarily around Kidsports Complex.
The section of land directly next to the athletic complex, previously called Victory Commons and now referred to as Phase Four of Spring Prairie, was recently submitted for review as a commercial development, according to city officials. The Kroenke Group is requesting a growth policy amendment, zone change and a 14-lot subdivision for the 28-acre lot, which sits on state school trust land. The project will go to the planning board for a work session on Feb. 10 and is tentatively scheduled for a public hearing at the March 10 board meeting, according to City Manager Doug Russell.
Also, the U.S. Highway 93 Alternate Route, or bypass, is slated to move forward this year, with the potential for the remaining sections to be bundled together as one project and developed over a 24-month period, according to city officials. The remaining phases are estimated to cost $43 million, which has been allocated at this time. The project could begin work in July and would take roughly two years to complete.
Completing the bypass is one of the chamber’s priorities, Unterreiner said. The other priority is staying involved in the discussion involving the road couplet around the Flathead County Courthouse. Several proposals are being crafted that could include widening the road to four lanes around the courthouse, which has already received pushback within the downtown community. The topic will be debated over the next year.
Unterreiner said this will be the year to really focus on helping the downtown area remain vibrant by helping support the development of the Core Area Redevelopment Plan and proposed industrial rail park off Whitefish Stage Road.
“We think the timing is excellent,” Unterreiner said. “We want to focus our attention and energy to make sure we have a vibrant and fully developed and exciting downtown.”