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County Loans Development Agency $8 Million for CHS Move

Loan has a 4 percent annual interest rate and must be paid off in 20 years

By Justin Franz
Grain silos near the Kalispell Center Mall on Oct. 14, 2015. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Flathead County has loaned the Flathead County Economic Development Authority $8 million to help cover the cost of moving CHS Kalispell to the new Glacier Rail Park currently under construction in Evergreen.

CHS has a relocation agreement with FCEDA to help move its grain elevator and other facilities from downtown Kalispell to the rail park to facilitate the removal of the railroad through town. Once CHS and another business, Northwest Drywall, are relocated and the tracks are removed, a trail will be built connecting Woodland Park with Meridian Road.

The Flathead County Commission approved the loan on May 7. Commissioners Gary Kruger and Phil Mitchell voted in support of the loan. Commissioner Pam Holmquist voted against the measure because she said the voters should decide on a loan of that size and nature. The loan has a 4 percent per annual interest rate and must be paid off in 20 years. 

Most of the money for the loan is coming from what the county has saved to build a new jail and the rest is coming from cash reservers.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the loan had been made to Montana West Economic Development and not

.