Woman dreams of community center in vacant store

Eryn Edelen has spent many of the wetter and colder months in Kalispell wondering what to do with her four children, and she realizes that this dilemma may face other Flathead Valley families.

“Outdoor activities are a huge part of who we are, but eight months out of the year you can’t do them,” she said. “I want to create an indoor hub for the community, a place to do outdoor things.”

Her ultimate plan is for The Hive — a child-centered recreational facility, a safe place that provides a multitude of energy-burning activities as well as acting as a community gathering spot. 

And Edelen is thinking big, with her eye on the vacant 130,000-square-foot former Walmart building in Evergreen. 

She’s modeling her plans somewhat on a similar business in Spearfish, S.D., the successful Spearfish Rec and Aquatics Center. In 2008, a vacant 71,000-square-foot Walmart building in Spearfish was turned into a full-blown sports and community center, featuring fitness amenities, a double gymnasium, batting cages and an outdoor 2-acre water park. 

The Flathead Valley facility would be more child-centered, with areas for rock climbing, an arcade, game rooms, skateboarding and much more. It also would offer state-licensed child care and be open long before school opens and after school closes, so parents can feel good about dropping their children off for fun in a safe environment. 

The Hive would mostly function as a membership organization, with monthly prices for adults, families and children, as well as offering single-day passes. 

Edelen’s wish list can be seen at thehivemontana.com, on which her ideas are presented for programs and activities. She also has a Facebook page on which interested people are welcome to share their support for the center.  

The goal is to have an investor-funded, for-profit enterprise, Edelen said. She is currently looking to create a board that would help with the business plan and with investor support and help maintain her grassroots approach to the facility’s creation.

 Plans are underway for an invitation-only awareness-raising family dance and ice cream social, to be held toward the end of October.  

Edelen has a business and social work background and is currently taking business classes at Flathead Valley Community College. 

Anyone interested on being on The Hive’s board or wanting more information is welcome to email Edelen at eryn@thehivemontana.com