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6 | MAY 28, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM
READER
POLL
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Should Veterans Afairs
Secretary Eric Shinseki Resign
Following the VA Scandal?
61% YES 39% NO
TOTAL VOTES: 41
Should Montana’s Gay Mar- A rendering of the proposed hotel in downtown Whiteish. COURTESY IMAGE
riage Ban be Overturned?
Boutique Hotel in Downtown Whiteish Moves Forward
Developers ask city for
$513,633 in tax-increment funds from the John Anderson in opposition.
tax increment funds to city for improvements to infrastructure, At the same meeting, the council de-
including moving a sewer line and street nied a request from Mountain Mall man-
assist with infrastructure improvements.
ager Tom Kraus, who requested $400,000
Whiteish city councilors on May 19 in TIF to revamp the mall’s outmoded ap-
improvements
made a preliminary commitment to assist pearance.
44% YES 56% NO with infrastructure improvements for the In a letter to the city, Kraus wrote “the
TOTAL VOTES: 175
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
new hotel.
1980s design of the Mountain Mall has
The hotel would generate $128,408 served its purpose but no longer relects
With the support of the Whiteish City in tax-increment revenue annually, and the feel or look of Whiteish. The brick fa-
Council, plans to build a 75-room boutique when the tax-increment inance district çade has fallen into disrepair with no sim-
Is the Cost of Higher Education hotel in downtown Whiteish are moving sunsets in 2020, it will have generated the ple or economically feasible ix.”
Too Expensive?
forward with the potential for inancial amount requested – $513,633 in tax-in- City councilors were skeptical, how-
support from the city.
crement revenue, according to a city staf ever, comparing the use of TIF to an inter-
The Whiteish downtown master plan report prepared by City Manager Chuck est-free loan.
has identiied a boutique downtown hotel Stearns.
Also at the meeting, an hotelier from
as a priority for years, and in June devel- “City staf respectfully recommends Missoula was also given approval to de-
oper Orlan Sorenson proposed building an that the city council consider a prelimi- velop a new 76-room, three-story Hamp-
$11.9 million hotel at the intersection of nary commitment of up to $513,633 in TIF ton Inn & Suites on the south end of town.
Spokane Avenue and East Second Street; funds or the amount which the City Coun- The council approved a request from Lar-
however, he halted the plans after having cil feels is appropriate for infrastructure ry Lambert of Lambert Hotels to develop
93YES 7NO trouble procuring the inancing.
assistance for this Block 46 boutique hotel a 20,000 square foot lodge at 6340 U.S.
% %
TOTAL VOTES: 196
Developers Sean and Brian Averill, and direct staf to work with the applicant Highway 93 South. Lambert said crews
owner-operators of The Lodge at White- on a development agreement,” Stearns will raze the former Wendy’s building and
ish Lake, secured a contract to purchase wrote in the report.
break ground on the site in early July.
Block 46, where they now plan to con- The council voted 5-1 to make a pre- [email protected]
ONLINE POLL RESULTS ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC
struct the hotel. The Averills requested
liminary commitment of TIF funds with
CALL ABOUT
ENERGY
TAX CREDITS
294 2nd Ave WN
Kalispell
257-1341
www.airworksmt.com
