Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 12.17.14

8 | DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM Kalispell Pushing Forward with Core Area Plan
Just
Sayin’...
“Did the report put troops abroad at risk? It did.”
Republican Rep.-elect Ryan Zinke, responding to the Senate’s release of a report detailing the CIA’s torture tactics after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“My primary concerns have been that the Compact be constitutional and that it guarantees irrigators receive sufficient water to continue farming today and in future generations. This Compact, which is significantly better than the previous one, does both.”
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox responding to the agreement between state officials and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on a water compact.
“I’m disappointed that an extension of Secure Rural Schools was not included in this package, and I remain committed to seeing that this important program is renewed in the coming months.”
Republican Sen.-elect and Rep. Steve Daines responding to Congress’s passage of the $1 trillion spending bill that left out the Secure Rural Schools Program, which will cost Montana counties $20 million in federal funding for schools and roads.
Engineering plans are underway for a proposed rail yard as part of downtown Kalispell revitalization project
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
Four years and two missed grant op- portunities later, Kalispell is pushing for- ward with its redevelopment plans for the downtown core area, hoping to kick start the expansive project through a local col- laborative effort.
Officials from the city and Flathead County Economic Development Author- ity are focusing on the linchpin of the en- tire vision: developing an industrial rail- road yard off Whitefish Stage Road, which would lead to the removal of the tracks in the heart of Kalispell, spurring a wide- range of possible revitalization projects in the historic center.
The city and FCEDA decided last week to commission an engineering blueprint for the empty 40-acre section of land off Whitefish Stage Road where the rail park is being proposed. The two partners will split the estimated cost of $700,000 to have engineers draw up the exact sche- matics of the site, including water, sewer, utility and other infrastructure.
When finished, the plan would pro- vide a clearer picture of the rail yard, help attract businesses for the site and perhaps federal funding to support other compo- nents of the redevelopment strategy.
The rail yard has already attracted a lot of interest from potential tenants, ac- cording to FCEDA.
“We bought this property with a vi- sion. I think it’s going to benefit every- body. But there’s a lot of moving parts,” said Jeannie Luckey, vice chair of the FCEDA board.
“I’m optimistic that we can make it happen.”
Since being unveiled in 2012 after two years of development, Kalispell’s ambi- tious, multi-faceted core area revitaliza-
Downtown Kalispell. BEACON FILE PHOTO
tion plan has struggled to materialize due
to a lack of funding sources.
Removing the railroad tracks in down-
town is considered pivotal to the entire vi- sion, but it would also require relocating CHS’s rail-served operations to another site, which is where the development of the rail yard factors in.
The city has estimated that it would cost $22 million to remove the railroad tracks, help relocate CHS, develop a trail system through town and reconnect sev- eral streets.
After back-to-back years of missing out on federal funding that could have been the project’s catalyst, officials from the city are taking the approach that if you want something done, do it yourself.
Instead of relying on federal grants, the city could tap into funds in the West Side Tax Increment Finance District in the near future to help remove the rail- road tracks and develop part of the rail yard in the next 13 to 18 months, according to Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell.
The entire project would draw finan- cial support from FCEDA and other enti- ties, including BNSF Railway and CHS.
By moving forward with the project at the local level, city officials hope the U.S. De- partment of Transportation would have an added incentive to provide support through the annual TIGER grant pro- gram, which Congress recently renewed for another year.
During the first quarter of 2015, the city and FCEDA will negotiate an agree- ment on the potential cost of relocating the tracks from downtown to the rail yard. The groups will also negotiate with BNSF over the acquisition of the land where the tracks currently run.
Russell and members of the FCEDA board briefed councilors last week, lead- ing to widespread excitement among the group that the grand redevelopment proj- ect could be on the horizon.
“That rail park really allows us to focus on our core area, and right now we have a huge problem with indecisiveness in our core area in Kalispell,” said city councilor Phil Guiffrida. “We will have the ability to take this blighted area in Kalispell and re- ally increase our tax base. In the end, this has huge benefits for all parties.”
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