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Have an account? LOG IN RELATED STORIES: News & Features Last Train Loads of Freight Roll into Kalispell While Northwest Drywall prepares to move into rail park, economic authority announces new development at former CHS property BY JUSTIN FRANZ DEC 16, 2019 One hundred twenty-eight years ago, the first train to arrive in downtown Kalispell was welcomed with a parade and banquet featuring all the trimmings. This week, the last trains to pull freight into town arrived with considerably less fanfare. On Monday, Dec. 16, Northwest Drywall and Roofing Supply was unloading what it expected to be one of the last loads of freight at its warehouse on Eighth Avenue WN. The building supply company was expecting to move into its new warehouse at the Glacier Rail Park in Evergreen this week and start accepting rail cars of drywall and other materials there soon after. CHS Says So Long to Downtown Silo • The End of the Line • KALISPELL 27°F -2°C OVERCAST CLOUDS The 'Gem' Between VIEW STORY CHRISTMAS STROLL PHOTO GALLERY EDITOR'S PICK MORE SHOW CAPTION ---PAGE BREAK--- While there are still are few empty freight cars being stored on the rails near downtown Kalispell, the arrival of the last load to Northwest Drywall meant the number of trains rumbling over Main Street on a regular basis will be greatly reduced in the coming months until the rails are ripped up and replaced with a trail. In 2018, Flathead County Economic Development Authority completed the construction Glacier Rail Park, a rail-served industrial area off Whitefish Stage Road in Evergreen, that has become the new home for two Kalispell businesses long-reliant on rail service: Northwest Drywall and CHS Kalispell. Earlier this fall, CHS completed its move into the rail park and now trainloads of grain are loaded there. Last week, Northern Plastics Inc. announced it was moving into the rail park as well, filling the last piece of available real estate in the 40-acre industrial park. With the construction of the rail park and removal of the rails through downtown, Kalispell will start building a long-awaited trail connecting Evergreen and Woodland Park with Meridian Road. City officials have said the trail could be “transformative” for the downtown area kicking off a number of new developments in a long-underutilized section of town. This week, Montana West Economic Development and the Flathead County Economic Development Authority announced that Bridgewater, a Kalispell based development company, would be turning the old CHS Country Store gas station into a new commercial development called Downtown Commons. The development will be home to Berube Physical Therapy, Alpine Lighting and a third commercial tenant. Developers hope to eventually add a co-working space and executive offices. Embed View on Twitter Flathead Beacon staff A Twitter list by @FlatheadBeacon Follow our journalists for breaking news & other reports Replying to @jfranz88 and 2 others Of course, there's only so much space in print, so most of the photos from this project can be found on my website justinfranz.com/photography/th… I'll be adding to this project in the coming months and years as the two miles of rail in downtown Kalispell are turned into a trail Justin Franz @jfranz88 The End of the Line ---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 Glacier High Students Explore Culinary Careers Major Repairs Planned for Rugged Many Glacier Road in 2020 Judge Denies Plaintiffs’ Request for Judgment in Water Bottling Case 17 Main Street • Kalispell • Montana • 59901 • USA • (406) 257-9220 •