City likely to buy Wells Fargo Bank building

by CAMDEN EASTERLING The Daily Inter Lake
| July 13, 2005 1:00 AM

The city of Kalispell has tentative plans to buy the downtown Wells Fargo Bank building for $1.1 million.

The council will vote Monday, July 18, whether to award the contract but expressed preliminary approval during a Monday night work session.

The city wants to use the building for office space for departments such as Planning, Zoning, Building and Community Development. The Police and Fire departments as well as the courts likely would stay in City Hall.

Parks and Recreation would go into the current Public Works location next to City Hall, and Public Works would relocate to the bank building, along with administration.

"The idea being more of a one-stop shopping thing," City Attorney Charlie Harball said.

Plans, though, are subject to change, Harball said.

Wells Fargo plans to relocate to Section 36, the parcel of state land on U.S. 93 that houses Lowe's, City Manager Jim Patrick told the council.

Bank President Steve Clawson said he could not comment about specifics of the bank's relocation plans until later this month.

The city and bank have reached a negotiated price of $1.1 million - less than the $1.4 million appraisal price - for the building, Patrick said.

Kalispell would spend an additional $800,000 to remodel the building at 201 First Avenue E. and relocate the staff.

Financing for the city's move would come from a 10-year, $1.5-million loan from the Board of Investments and $400,000 in available cash from the Building Department. The city would make the loan's payments of $181,704 with $57,000 each from the general and building funds and the Public Works Department. The Community Development Department would chip in $10,705.

City officials say that taking the building off the tax rolls wouldn't hurt Kalispell because Wells Fargo this past year paid $6,149 in taxes. Comparatively, the city spent $63,504 in lease payments for the offices that would move into the bank.

Reporter Camden Easterling can be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@dailyinterlake.com.