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KALISPELL 25°F 3°C FEW CLOUDS RELATED STORIES: News & Features Kalispell Moving Ahead with Core Area Plan Engineering plans are underway for a proposed rail yard at the center of downtown Kalispell revitalization project BY DILLON TABISH DEC 12, 2014 Four years and two missed grant opportunities later, Kalispell is pushing forward Kalispell Falls Short Again in Hunt for • Bitcoin Under the Big Sky VIEW STORY BEST OF PREPS PHOTO GALLERY EDITOR'S PICK SHOW CAPTION ---PAGE BREAK--- with its redevelopment plans for the downtown core area, hoping to kick start the expansive project through a local collaborative effort. Officials from the city and Flathead County Economic Development Authority are focusing on the linchpin of the entire vision: developing an industrial railroad yard off Whitefish Stage Road, which would lead to the removal of the tracks in the heart of Kalispell, spurring a widerange of possible revitalization projects in the historic center. The city and FCEDA decided last week to commission an engineering blueprint for the empty 40acre 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 schematics of the site, including water, sewer, utility and other infrastructure. When finished, the plan would provide a clearer picture of the rail yard, help attract businesses for the site and perhaps federal funding to support other components of the redevelopment strategy. The rail yard has already attracted a lot interest from potential tenants, according to FCEDA. “We bought this property with a vision. I think it’s going to benefit everybody. But there’s a lot of moving parts,” said Jeannie Luckey, vice chair of the FCEDA board. TIGER Grant Kalispell’s Core Area Redevelopment Plan Inches Forward • What’s Next for Kalispell? • Embed View on Twitter Flathead Beacon staff A Twitter list by @FlatheadBeacon Follow our journalists for breaking news & other reports 1h Kellyn Brown Retweeted US expels 60 Russians from US & shuts Russian consulate in Seattle. And EU says 14 EU states "have decided to expel Russian diplomats." Kellyn Brown Retweeted Facebook took out full page ads in the NYT, WSJ, WashPost, and 6 UK papers today cnn.it/2pHfpIj Steve Rosenberg Brian Stelter @brianstelter MORE ---PAGE BREAK--- “I’m optimistic that we can make it happen.” Since being unveiled in 2012 after two years of development, Kalispell’s ambitious, multifaceted core area revitalization plan has struggled to materialize due to a lack of funding sources. Removing the railroad tracks in downtown is considered pivotal to the entire vision, but it would also require relocating CHS’s railserved 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 several streets. After backtoback 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 railroad 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 financial support from FCEDA and other entities, including BNSF Railway and CHS. By moving forward with the project at the local level, city officials hope the U.S. Department of Transportation would have an added incentive to provide support through the annual TIGER grant program, which Congress recently renewed for another year. ---PAGE BREAK--- During the first quarter of 2015, the city and FCEDA will negotiate an agreement 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, leading to widespread excitement among the group that the grand redevelopment project 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 really increase our tax base. In the end, this has huge benefits for all parties.” MORE FROM THE BEACON 0 Comments Sort by Facebook Comments Plugin Newest Add a comment... Hitting 100,000 Residents Seeds of a Movement ---PAGE BREAK--- NEWS & FEATURES SPORTS OUTDOORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT OPINION PHOTOS EVENTS ABOUT US MARKETPLACE Advertise Subscribe Advertiser Tear Sheets Email & RSS Feeds Contact Us © 2018 Flathead Beacon, All Rights Reserved. Use of this site is subject to the Flathead Beacon's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Flathead Beacon Kalispell Gears Up for Major Wastewater Project 17 Main Street • Kalispell • Montana • 59901 • USA • (406) 2579220 •