New event center nearly completed
Work on the new Flathead County Fairgrounds events center should be completed this week, although it won't be available for rent until the end of August.
Fairgrounds Manager Jay Scott said the county expects to take possession of the 48,000-square-foot structure on Monday. It will provide space for trade shows, concerts and other community events.
The building cost $1.2 million, Scott said. All of the money came from the sale of a strip of fairgrounds property along Meridian Road. The property was needed for an upcoming road improvement project.
The right of way sold for $1.4 million, he said. The remaining $200,000 was used to acquire more land just north of the fairgrounds for use as a parking area during the fair.
"This is something the Fair Board has wanted for 20 years," Scott said. "We chose to build it now while we had the money in our budget."
If it hadn't been for the land sale, he said, it's doubtful the events center would ever have been built.
The facility probably will only be used for a small portion of the year, at least initially. Consequently, it wouldn't have generated enough revenue to cover any debt payments. That isn't an issue now, however, because it's owned free and clear.
"We're hoping to rent it one weekend a month. That's our target," Scott said. "It's large enough that we aren't going to be able to rent it on a steady basis. As the community grows, we think it will be used more and more. At this point, though, it doesn't have heat, so that will limit rentals in the winter."
The building includes a free-standing 150-by-300 foot arena that has a dirt floor, plus a 3,000-square-foot concrete entryway with restrooms.
The rental fee will probably be about $1,200 to $1,500 per day, Scott said.
The building will be used as a livestock area during the Northwest Montana Fair, which begins on Aug. 17. Given the tight work schedules they're facing this summer, fairgrounds workers will start setting it up for that purpose in the next few weeks, meaning it won't be available for rent until after the fair ends on Aug. 21.
Except for the fair, there are no plans to use or rent the building for livestock events, such as team penning competitions or rodeos, Scott said. The Majestic Valley Arena already offers similar events and the Fair Board didn't want to compete with it.
Future plans for the events center include adding concrete floors in the arena area to eliminate the dust and dirt, and a concession stand in the entryway, he said. However, any revenue for those improvements will have to come from the building rental fees.
Other upcoming activities at the fairgrounds include the removal of two older buildings, which will provide more room for the fair carnival, plus the planting of several dozen trees and shrubs to improve the landscaping in the area.
Scott also met with the county commissioners this week to discuss the possibility of abandoning the stretch of West Wyoming Street that runs along the north side of the fairgrounds.
The road currently separates the fairgrounds from the empty lots north of Wyoming that are owned by the fairgrounds and used for parking during the fair.
Scott proposed building a short extension along the east side of the empty lots to connect with West Colorado Street and allow traffic to reach Meridian Road or U.S. 93 more easily. Once the extension is in place, Wyoming would be abandoned, leaving the entire fairgrounds property as a single piece.
Scott said he still needs to discuss this idea with Kalispell officials. The question of how to pay for the road extension also has to be resolved.
Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com