Page 36 - Flathad Beacon // 10.8.14

36 | OCTOBER 8, 2014
BUSINESS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
COLUMBIA FALLS ON THE RISE
Columbia Falls City Manager Susan Nicosia.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
A new TIF district and increase in building permits places the Gateway to Glacier on the edge of expansion
By MOLLY PRIDDY
COLUMBIA FALLS – It’s a qui- et city in Flathead County, lo- cated just west of Bad Rock Canyon and sitting at the be- ginning of the storied North Fork Road. There’s not a lot of fanfare about new development or potential projects, but there should be.
Columbia Falls is on the rise, poised to take significant steps in development and growth as the economy continues to strengthen and more people are build- ing anew or building up.
“There is a lot of potential here,” Su- san Nicosia, Columbia Falls city manag- er, said while taking a walk through the city’s downtown.
The downtown area has had some upgrades in the last year, with Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the concessioner for Glacier National Park, moving into and cleaning up the old First Citizens Bank building and turning what was previ- ously a hole in the heart of the city into an active business.
Another major change is the expan-
sion of O’Brien Liquor and Wine, which has been a mainstay on the U.S. High- way 2 stretch just west of downtown. O’Brien and Melanie Byrd bought the 5,000-square-foot building on the cor- ner of U.S. Highway 2 and First Avenue West near downtown, which was previ- ously owned by Western Building Cen- ter.
Initially, the couple said they hoped the new location would be open in time for Halloween. City officials said in ear- ly October that the Byrds hadn’t pulled
any building permits for the location, but over the weekend of Oct. 4 and 5, the building and the parking lot had been cleaned up significantly.
Two new auto stores – Auto Zone and O’Reilly’s – have also taken up residence on U.S. 2, and Nicosia said they have re- sulted in a $1 million tax base increase for the city.
There has also been a considerable increase in residential building activity in Columbia Falls.
“We issued more building permits
SKI SEASON IS ALMOST HERE! ARE YOU READY?
$10 0 O f f
Look Great, Feel Great, It’s Worth It!
Check us out at www. mteamfitness.com
471-6711
IN THE BLUE COW BUILDING
CERTIFIED FITNESS TRAINERS • ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION NUTRITIONAL GUIDANCE & MORE...
Helping you
NAVIGATE
the Montana Real Estate Market
406-249-1764
davidfetveit.com