With construction season approaching, the latest large-scale commercial development in Kalispell is gaining steam and could quickly transform the section of land surrounding Kidsports Complex with a new lineup of restaurants and retail stores.
The 28-acre plot along U.S. Highway 93 between the sports complex and Costco is poised to be the next big phase of business construction on the bustling north side of town, further establishing Kalispell as a regional center and benefiting Montana’s public schools with added revenues on state trust land.
Developers are seeking to divide the land into 14 parcels, or building pads, that would resemble the layout of the most recent phase of commercial expansion involving Cabela’s, Michaels and other adjacent businesses that surfaced up the road over the past two years. That phase of development led to nearly 115,000 square feet of new commercial space.
This latest proposal has similar ambitions with plans to build four large “anchor” stores and a mixture of dining and retail businesses, according to Karen Blumenstein, a local representative for the site developer, Missouri-based TKG Spring Prairie Development Four, LLC, which oversaw the other phases involving Cabela’s, Costco and Lowe’s.
This proposal does include a unique feature: a pair of public parks that would connect to the neighboring Kidsports Complex.
Blumenstein presented the preliminary plans for the project to the Kalispell Planning Board during a work session Feb. 10. A formal public hearing is scheduled for March 10 at 7 p.m. inside City Hall.
The developers are hoping to break ground this spring and it would not be unreasonable to see the entire phase constructed within two years, according to Blumenstein.
But before TKG can line up tenants and begin construction, the firm needs approval from the city council for four specific items.
The city would need to amend its growth policy because only five of the 28 acres are designated for commercial development. The majority of the site was designated “Public and Open Space” when it was first developed in the late 1990s, when Kidsports Complex was joining the site alongside the former Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation regional office, which has since moved.
The city would also need to rezone the site from P-1 (Public) to B-5 (Business), similar to the surrounding commercial lots.
To allow flexibility in layout and design of the site, the city would need to implement a planned unit development overlay zone, which is a regulatory mechanism cities use to maintain a unified vision for larger developments.
Lastly, the developers need subdivision approval for the 14-lot preliminary plat, which ensures the proper infrastructure such as sewer and water are included in the project.
TKG submitted a traffic study of U.S. 93 that supports adding a new traffic light across from the northern-most entrance into Flathead Valley Community College, roughly one-quarter of a mile from the Grandview-Fourth Mile intersection.
The developers are also asking the Montana Department of Transportation for two road access points onto U.S. 93 and two access points onto Old Reserve Drive.
The city’s Public Works Department continues to work with the developers to solve the storm water drainage issue at the site. There is a low point where 90 percent of the lot drains, creating a pond of standing water. TKG is proposing to re-grade the entire site and fill this pond. Storm water would then be moved to a retention pond on the southern border of the site.
While grading the site, TKG would improve several fields at Kidsports and create berms around the commercial developments to create a more favorable view from the complex, according to Blumenstein. One berm would stretch nine feet high and the other side would reach eight feet high. The site would also include significant landscaping that would complement Kidsports, Blumenstein said.
“Standing on the baseball fields, you won’t be able to see truck docks or activity on the back of those buildings,” she said.
Blumenstein said she has worked closely with Dan Johns, president of Kidsports, over the last few years for this project. To help acquire a permanent easement for its 138-acre site, Kidsports Complex agreed to give 13 acres to TKG for commercial development in exchange for a portion of the easement price.
The entire complex, including the new commercial development, happens to be part of a one-square-mile section of state school trust land. In cities across the state, sections of land are set aside as revenue sources for public schools.
In the last decade, Kalispell’s section of state trust land has changed from an empty alfalfa field into a lucrative commercial district. A decade ago, the section was generating roughly $7,500 annually for the state’s school coffers. In fiscal year 2014, commercial leases on Section 36 generated over $5.7 million, according to state data.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Blumenstein said of the new development.
No tenants have formally agreed to move into the site but several franchises that are not already in the valley’s market have expressed interest, Blumenstein said.
“This is a great market,” she said. “Our tenants in the Cabela’s center are really happy and really pleased with what the customer base is like.”