Following a year-long renovation of the former CenturyLink Building at 290 North Main Street in Kalispell, several Flathead County governmental departments have moved into their new location.
The offices of the Superintendent of Schools, Family Court Services and the Flathead County Treasurer are now located in the new building, offering more space to employees and visitors. The treasury office includes the accounting and property tax departments along with the Department of Motor Vehicles, all of which opened on May 18.
The Flathead County Commissioners voted 2-1 in 2020 to purchase the vacant CenturyLink for $720,000, followed by a more than $4 million remodel. An additional $600,000 was spent creating a new 911 emergency backup center.
Renovations to the building included reconfiguring the interior to fit department specifications, replacing most of the exterior, including the roof, and making upgrades to the elevator and a new loading area. The entire mechanical system and much of the electrical and plumbing engineering systems were also upgraded. There are currently several vacant office spaces to make room for further expansion in the future.
In addition, the new building has more than 60 parking spaces, after studies showed county parking lots were consistently near capacity.
The department relocations pave the way for renovations to begin at the county’s Courthouse West building and the Justice Center.
Beginning in 2023, Flathead County will have a fifth district judge, plus staff and planning documents show that construction at Courthouse West will include two new courtrooms, staff office space and temporary holding cells to facilitate the relocation of the Justice Court System, while the remodel of the Justice Center will convert two small courtrooms into a larger District Court courtroom, which will accommodate a new judge for the county.
Following the June primary election, the county elections department will also move to the North Complex.