Kidsports easement may cost $2.4 million

The ballpark cost of a permanent easement for the Kidsports youth athletic complex on school trust land in north Kalispell: Approximately $2.4 million.

That’s according to land appraisals that were done in July.

But the rough estimate is a moving target as Kidsports, the city of Kalispell and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation work to craft a plan to send to the State Land Board for consideration.

“Ballpark figure is a great term. It’s real approximate,” Mike Collins, program manager with the Northwest Land Office in Kalispell, said of the cost.

A request for proposals remains active for what is known as Victory Commons.

The collaborative project aims to spur more commercial development on the Section 36 school trust land along U.S. 93 and help Kidsports, Kalispell’s most heavily used sports facility and a regional tournament center, acquire a permanent easement.

Kidsports draws thousands of young athletes and family members throughout the spring, summer and fall and sits near one of Kalispell’s most high-traffic commercial areas, making it an attractive neighbor for many possible developments.

Firms interested in leasing and developing the 28-acre Victory Commons site must submit proposals by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Almost half of the acreage is land Kidsports has agreed to release from the 40-year, 134-acre lease that it entered through the city of Kalispell in 1996.

Victory Commons was structured so a developer must pay Kidsports to release any its land. That arrangement is meant to give the nonprofit youth sports organization a jump on fundraising for a permanent easement for the rest of its land.

“All of these developers will have to come to us with a letter from the city and Kidsports saying they have an agreement for remuneration, which is a key piece of this interesting puzzle,” Collins said.

The concern is that without a permanent easement, Kidsports eventually may be priced out of its home.

Within five years, the nonprofit organization faces a mandatory mid-lease reappraisal. Significant commercial development has occurred in the area since Kidsports entered its lease, and that may increase the annual lease payment to an unaffordable level.

Of course, $2.4 million is a significant amount of money to raise to buy a permanent easement for roughly 120 acres of land zoned P-1 for public use.

“The number is what it is,” said Dan Johns, director of Kidsports.

“Let’s just say we’ll approach it optimistically with the intent of raising that money. We think [Kidsports] has proven itself as a valuable community asset and we want it to be there more than 26 more years. In perpetuity,” Johns said.

“People ask me about my method of raising that money. I tell people it’s simple. When I wear out the knees of this pair of pants I’ll go out and buy another.”

Kidsports, Kalispell and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation still are working out the details of a three- or five-year option agreement that would give Kidsports time to raise the money needed for a permanent easement, and trying to settle on an annual fee for that option.

The goal was to get a Victory Commons development and permanent easement package before the State Land Board for consideration in August, but that target now has been pushed back to September.

“It’s been a long road, but I have to give the city, Kidsports and DNRC credit for sticking with it. All those pieces are coming together,” Collins said.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.