Shopko: A big deal for Whitefish

When Shopko signed a deal recently to place a Shopko Hometown department store in Whitefish’s Mountain Mall, mall property manager Tom Kraus called it “a big deal for the mall.”

We think it’s a big deal for the entire community of Whitefish, and a victory for any average consumer in the resort town who’s trying to buy household and personal items such as reasonably priced underwear.

Whitefish hasn’t had a department store since the defunct Sprouse-Reitz chain closed its store in the Whitefish mall in the early 1990s. While Whitefish has many wonderful retail stores, we can’t ignore the fact that a town the size of Whitefish needs a department store for its everyday needs.

Mountain Mall is a wonderful facility and an asset to Whitefish. Retail stores have come and gone at the mall for decades, and it’s always been a challenge to find the right mix of tenants. We expect the addition of Shopko Hometown will revive the mall and make it economically viable.

With Super 1 Foods as a mall anchor on one end and the recently expanded and renovated Sportsman & Ski Haus as an anchor on the other end, having Shopko in the middle will nicely accommodate shoppers. 

A $3.7 million renovation is planned for the 37,000-square-foot store; it’s a worthy investment in Whitefish.

The Whitefish City Council gets a pat on the back for agreeing to allocate $200,000 in tax-increment revenue to update the mall exterior facade. It’s nice to see the city investing in projects outside the downtown core.

Miracle Field well-named

Let’s give a standing ovation to everyone who helped make Miracle Field a reality five years ago. 

This inspirational project at the Kidsports complex allows players with special needs to participate in baseball, something that would have been impossible when most of us were growing up.

As many as 80 players are part of the Miracle League this year, and the public is encouraged to come and watch the games, which are at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the end of July.

But the miracle is about to get even better. Starting in October, Miracle Field will also be home for a new soccer league that will let even more people have a chance to spread their wings.

This is a team effort where everyone is a winner! 

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.