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Have an account? LOG IN RELATED STORIES: News & Features Economic Authority Releases Map to Encourage Development on Proposed Rail Trail Officials still hope to remove tracks through downtown in 2020 BY JUSTIN FRANZ NOV 10, 2019 Montana West Economic Development and the City of Kalispell have released a new online interactive map they hope will encourage redevelopment along the proposed Kalispell Trail through downtown. The map depicts properties that are for sale in the Kalispell Opportunity Zone along the former Great Northern Railway tracks. The track could be removed sometime in 2020 to make way for a CHS Says So Long to Downtown Silo • Kalispell City Council Approves $80 Million 2020 Budget • Kalispell Budget Includes Funds for Downtown Rail Trail • KALISPELL 28°F -2°C SNOW THE BREAKING POINT PHOTO GALLERY Hemp: The New Cash Crop? VIEW STORY MORE EDITOR'S PICK SHOW CAPTION ---PAGE BREAK--- new trail that will connect Meridian Road with Woodland Park. The track is owned by BNSF Railway and used by a short line operator, the Mission Mountain Railroad. In 2018, Flathead County completed construction of the Glacier Rail Park in Evergreen, paving the way for the removal of two miles of track slicing through downtown. The rail park included space for the final two rail-served customers in downtown: the CHS Kalispell grain elevator and Northwest Drywall. Earlier this month, CHS closed the grain elevator and Northwest Drywall is currently putting the finishing touches on its new building in the rail park. The tracks near downtown are also being used to temporarily store unused rail cars. The interactive map shows an overview of the downtown area with properties for sale outlined in orange. When a user clicks on the property they can get information about who is selling it and the asking price. “The City of Kalispell and Flathead County Economic Development Authority have worked tirelessly for years to bring the community to this point for new investment. In the next 12-18 months properties that were once hemmed in by railroad tracks will be opened up to access the Kalispell Trail. We are already seeing developers begin to purchase land with plans to invest in mixed-use development,” said Kim Morisaki, director of business development and marketing at Montana West Economic Development. The Kalispell Opportunity Zone designation also allows potential investors to take advantage of tax breaks to encourage long-term development. To see the map, visit http://www.kalispellcoreandrail.com/opportunity- zone.html. Embed View on Twitter Flathead Beacon staff A Twitter list by @FlatheadBeacon Follow our journalists for breaking news & other reports 1h Justin Franz Retweeted It's now snowing across parts of NW Montana. It looks like Whitefish and Kalispell have received 1/2-1" of snow thus far. Expect snow in NW Mt through 4 pm mdt. #mtwx Our wildly talented photographer Hunter D’Antuono decided to break things in his garage while experimenting with high-speed photography techniques: flatheadbeacon.com/galleries/pers… NWS Missoula @NWSMissoula Kellyn Brown ---PAGE BREAK--- NEWS & FEATURES SPORTS OUTDOORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT OPINION PHOTOS EVENTS ABOUT US MARKETPLACE Advertise Subscribe Advertiser Tear Sheets Email & RSS Feeds Contact Us © 2019 Flathead Beacon, All Rights Reserved. Use of this site is subject to the Flathead Beacon's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Flathead Beacon JOIN NOW If you enjoy stories like this one, please consider joining the Flathead Beacon Editor’s Club. For as little as $5 per month, Editor’s Club members support independent local journalism and earn a pipeline to Beacon journalists. Members also gain access to www.beaconeditorsclub.com, where they will find exclusive content like deep dives into our biggest stories and a behind-the- scenes look at our newsroom. MORE FROM THE BEACON New Hockaday Director Brings Wealth of Experience Spotlight Event: Ladies Night Out Public Comment Closes on Sun Road Plan 17 Main Street • Kalispell • Montana • 59901 • USA • (406) 257-9220 •