If it seems like your packages are arriving faster around the Flathead Valley these days, that’s because Amazon recently opened a 28,000-square-foot “last-mile” delivery facility in south Kalispell on 125 United Drive as the e-commerce conglomerate expands its footprint across Montana.
Officials with the corporation also announced the opening of another 35,000-square-foot delivery station in Great Falls, offering improved delivery speeds while they “foster economic opportunities” across the state.
“Amazon’s investment in Kalispell represents a milestone for Montana and the Flathead Valley,” said Tareq Wafaie, Amazon’s manager of economic development policy in Montana. “This new delivery station creates flexible jobs for local residents while bringing faster, more reliable delivery service to customers in the area.”
The facility brings “customer fulfillment” and transportation jobs to Kalispell, where employees earn between $17 and $28 per hour.
The new Amazon building adds to the vast inventory of commercial development Kalispell has seen in recent years as businesses like Stockman’s Bank, Kalispell Toyota and Costco relocate and expand.
Last year, the City of Kalispell broke records with $250 million in building permits, a 50% increase from its previous high of $170 million.
Most of the development is taking shape at Kalispell’s North Town Center where more than 300,000 square feet of commercial development is in the works north of West Reserve Drive.
Other projects like the Stillwater Bend development on the west side of the U.S. Highway 93 at the Rose Crossing intersection and housing developments including the Eagle Valley Ranch apartments and Stillwater Village have also sprouted in recent years.
But as the big box stores multiply across Kalispell, business leaders are working to shift attention to small downtown businesses as development sprawls.
“That’s brought up a lot of discussion about how we need to work together to focus more on our downtown and its redevelopment and revitalization,” Kalispell Chamber of Commerce CEO Lorraine Clarno said at last month’s University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research seminar.
I’m Maggie Dresser, here with today’s Daily Roundup.
Whether you’ve been here for decades, or you’re new to the Flathead Valley, our reporting is here to help you feel smarter and in the loop about the issues most important to Northwest Montana. With your support, we can build a more engaged, informed community.
