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County Still Pursuing Walmart Purchase for Jail

Negotiations centered on price, county says

By Molly Priddy
The old Walmart building in Evergreen on June 5, 2015. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Flathead County is still in negotiations for the potential purchase of the old Walmart building in Evergreen, with the intentions on turning the property into a new detention center and sheriff’s office.

According to county administrator Mike Pence, Flathead County was still in negotiations with the building’s owner, though the talks have largely centered on the price.

“We already have the framework of a buy-sell agreement,” Pence said.

If the county and the seller can come to terms on a price, Pence said the county would have 120 days prior to closing to do its due diligence on the building, including an architectural review.

Integrus Architecture, based in Spokane, Washington, has already sent the county a proposal for the review; Integrus is the same company that completed the preliminary design and cost for the jail addition on the current Flathead County Justice Center.

Pence estimated that the initial architectural study could cost upwards of $20,000.

Along with the architectural review, Pence said the county would perform myriad other studies on the building and site during the 120-day period before agreeing to purchase, including an environmental study. The waiting period would also give the county a chance to work on its financial plan, Pence said.

Pence asserted that price negotiations don’t automatically mean the county will buy the building, but the process is heading in that direction.

“After our due diligence, if it’s all positive, there’s pretty good likelihood that it would end in a purchase,” Pence said.

Jail space in Flathead County is at a minimum. The existing jail, located near downtown Kalispell, was built to house 63 people, but the daily inmate population currently averages around 100 people, forcing the staff to double-bunk the inmates and turn away non-violent offenders.