After nearly 20 years of renovating and resurrecting the KM Building in downtown Kalispell, Bill Goodman is ready to hand off the historic centerpiece to a new owner.
Goodman, who purchased the 80,000-square-foot building on First Avenue East in 1997 with his wife, Jana, has listed the property for sale, seeking $3.48 million. He is working with two local realtors, David Stone with PureWest Real Estate and Wendy Brown with Chuck Olson Real Estate, to broker a deal.
“I’m hoping that the new owner is somebody who appreciates what they’re getting, appreciates the place in history that the building has and its place in the community and the quality that I’ve tried to put into it,” Goodman said.
The building is fully booked with 27 tenants, including D.A. Davidson & Co. and Split Rock Café, that each lease their space. There is also a 99-seat theater that was the first county courthouse and has hosted productions in the past, as well as a 2,500-square-foot loft apartment upstairs with a rooftop patio overlooking downtown.
The original Kalispell Mercantile was built in 1892 and expanded to cover half a city block by 1903. The original offices and courtroom for the newly formed Flathead County were established inside along with the first Kalispell City Hall. The mercantile provided the town’s first residents vital supplies, from wagons to appliances and groceries.
Goodman has devoted the better part of the last two decades revitalizing the entire building, which had only two tenants in the late 1990s.
Goodman, who previously worked in the real estate business, gutted many of the upstairs rooms that became empty storage space over the last century. Fiber optics cables were spread throughout, as well as new sprinkler systems. New walls were constructed and other older ones were torn down, creating a spacious atmosphere for professional offices.
Before Split Rock Café, the Goodmans opened and operated Red’s Wines and Blues, a bar and restaurant, and Red’s Roost, a sports bar. That endeavor proved too successful as it overwhelmed the Goodmans and the building and they eventually shut it down, opening the doors for the breakfast and lunch café.
In recent years, the Goodmans developed the upstairs loft apartment.
The future owners will have room to grow if they desire. A 12,000-square-foot warehouse remains untouched and open for renovations.
The Goodmans said the new owner could develop his or her own vision for the space.
Once the property is sold, the husband and wife plan to stick around the Flathead Valley.
“We don’t have any interest in leaving the community. We love it here,” Bill said.
He said he is excited to see the KM Building continue to be a vibrant hub for downtown.
For more information on the building, visit www.thehistorickm.com.