Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 1.28.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS JANUARY 28, 2015 | 13 Kalispell Poised for Another
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Busy Year of Economic Activity
Chamber lists downtown vitality, road projects as priorities for 2015
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
“We’re looking forward to a very busy 2015,” Diane Medler, director of the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau, told the crowd of business and community leaders at last week’s Cham- ber of Commerce luncheon.
Coming off a banner year for tour- ism, the Flathead Valley is poised for another bustling run over the next 12 months with visitation and overall eco- nomic activity slated to continue mak- ing strides.
Medler and Joe Unterreiner, presi- dent of the Kalispell Chamber of Com- merce, touted last year’s achievements and this year’s prospects at the monthly chamber meeting on Jan. 21.
Over the past year, Kalispell further established itself as a regional trade cen- ter and popular visitor destination, ac- cording to Medler and Unterreiner.
The Tourism Business Improve- ment District saw a 6 percent increase in revenues in fiscal year 2014, and the so-called shoulder seasons have seen heightened activity, Medler said. The or- ganization is now focusing on building a stronger winter season.
The upcoming year will feature fa- miliar signature events, including the
Montana Pond Hockey Classic, the Mon- tana Spartan Race, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Montana High School Rodeo Finals. The Pond Hockey event, Feb. 20-22 at Foys Lake, is expected to feature nearly 60 teams this year. Last year’s inaugural event drew 51 teams, 91 percent of which were from out of mar- ket.
The Montana Spartan Race will be a two-day event this year, May 9-10. This year’s event will include a 13-mile, 20-obstacle “Beast” race on Saturday and the 5-mile “Sprint” on Sunday. The two-day event is expected to bring over 8,500 racers this year. It will be held at the same location as the previous two years.
All together, CVB events generated an estimated $5 million in economic ac- tivity last year.
Nearly 100,000 square feet of new retail space was added in the city last year. Further gains are expected to con- tinue this year, primarily around Kid- sports Complex.
The section of land directly next to the athletic complex, previously called Victory Commons and now referred to as Phase Four of Spring Prairie, was re- cently submitted for review as a com- mercial development, according to city officials. The Kroenke Group is request- ing a growth policy amendment, zone change and a 14-lot subdivision for the 28-acre lot, which sits on state school trust land. The project will go to the planning board for a work session on
Feb. 10 and is tentatively scheduled for
creating
JOBS
a public hearing at the March 10 board
meeting, according to City Manager
Doug Russell.
Also, the U.S. Highway 93 Alternate
Route, or bypass, is slated to move for- ward this year, with the potential for the remaining sections to be bundled together as one project and developed over a 24-month period, according to city officials. The remaining phases are estimated to cost $43 million, which has been allocated at this time. The project could begin work in July and would take roughly two years to complete.
Completing the bypass is one of the chamber’s priorities, Unterreiner said. The other priority is staying involved in the discussion involving the road cou- plet around the Flathead County Court- house. Several proposals are being craft- ed that could include widening the road to four lanes around the courthouse, which has already received pushback within the downtown community. The topic will be debated over the next year.
Unterreiner said this would be the year to really focus on helping the down- town area remain vibrant by supporting the development of the Core Area Rede- velopment Plan and proposed industrial rail park off Whitefish Stage Road.
“We think the timing is excellent,” Unterreiner said. “We want to focus our attention and energy to make sure we have a vibrant and fully developed and exciting downtown.”
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Municipal Matters
A recap of recent city council and county commission meetings
FLATHEAD COUNTY
• On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the Flat- head County Commission is sched- uled to consider the revised rec- ommendation from the Flathead County Planning Board regarding the future of planning and zon- ing in the former interlocal agree- ment around Whitefish, commonly referred to as the doughnut. The hearing begins at 10:15 a.m. at the commission’s chambers.
•Also on Wednesday, the commis- sion will consider taking action on cost-saving options for the South Campus Building Project. The com- mission will refer to a list of poten- tial money-saving items drawn up by the project’s architects and con- struction company.
KALISPELL
• Kalispell wil help pay for the engi- neering costs associated with the proposed industrial rail park off Whitefish Stage Road. City council- ors approved an agreement Jan. 20 with the Flathead County Econom- ic Development Authority to share the estimated cost of $700,000.
•A new $14 million sewer line for the west-north end of town is in the works after the city council approved a timeline for the proj- ect. Called the West Side Sanitary Sewer Interceptor, the line would improve capacity in the burgeoning north end of Kalispell, where cur- rent lines are insufficient for new growth.
• The city council voted unanimously to require pawn shops and second- hand stroes to electronically inven- tory items online for the Kalispell Police Department. The council ap- proved the first reading of the pro- posed change, and the ordinance will appear at a later meeting for a second reading.
WHITEFISH
• Martel Construction of Bigfork will be the general contractor for the new City Hall and parking struc- ture project. City councilors ap- proved the hire last week, and city officials will negotiate a contract for future approval from the city council. The city council also voted 5-1 to pursue two preliminary de-
signs for the project.
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