Former shopping mall becomes nonprofit center
The transformation of the former Gateway West Mall into a collective of local nonprofit organizations is under way.
United Way of Flathead County and its Volunteer Center finished moving into the new Gateway Community Center last week, and a number of agencies will follow suit as space becomes available throughout the summer.
"We're one of the first ones on the list. We're anxiously waiting," said Flo Kiewel, county and certified work incentives coordinator for Summit Independent Living.
Kiewel said she and the small staff at Summit are looking forward to working within a community of other services. The agency hopes to relocate to the former mall off U.S. 2 on Kalispell's west side sometime this summer.
Collaboration with other service-related entities - which at times serve the same clients - is a key drawing card for nonprofits such as Summit Independent Living.
"We can all band together," she said.
Another plus of the spacious facility: being able to take a walk indoors during the winter, Kiewel added.
Gateway Community Center Inc., a newly formed nonprofit, is leasing more than 55,000 square feet from American Capital to service agencies that serve Northwest Montana. The city of Kalispell owns the portion of the former mall that's occupied by the TeleTech call center.
Other tenants - New West Insurance, Midas Muffler and the Mail Room - will remain in the mall along with TeleTech.
United Way will serve as fiscal agent for Gateway Community Center.
Terms of the agreement with American Capital call for a 10-year lease of the space, with the option to purchase the building at any time.
The Gateway Community Center board intends to purchase the building within the next three years, board member Mark Johnson said.
United Way has had a conference room at the mall for seven years that has been used by several nonprofit organizations.
Two years ago the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Kids program relocated to the mall as a pilot project to see whether the location worked for nonprofit agencies.ÊCASA Program Director Jamie Campbell said locating the program at the mall has been very successful.
Other agencies waiting to relocate include the Flathead Food Bank, Violence Free Crisis Line and Montana Conservation Corps.
Flathead Food Bank will move its entire food distribution center to the mall and hopes to complete the move this summer, a spokeswoman said. Volunteers are signing up to help with the move, she said.
A wide range of other nonprofit and government organizations - including the Flathead County Agency on Aging and Kalispell Senior Center - are in the process of making plans to relocate to the complex.
Most of the nonprofits will congregate at the north end of the former mall, Johnson said, but the Agency on Aging and senior center are looking at the former Corral West store space in the southwest corner.
United Way Director Sherry Stevens Wulf said in a press release that local businesses, service clubs and contractors are encouraged to volunteer their time and expertise to help nonprofit agencies modify space at Gateway Community Center to meet their needs.
Contractors are being asked to "adopt" an agency to help them remodel space.
The food court and entertainment/display areas surrounding the food court will be available for community entertainment venues, displays, art shows, events and fairs.
The creation of Gateway Community Center culminates more than a dozen years of planning and discussions aimed at establishing a centralized service location for nonprofit agencies and their clients.
The idea of a central campus was a dream of Earl Bennett, longtime Flathead County administrator, who before his death was a driving force in the early planning stages for such a community center.
Ê Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com