North-end stores nearly ready to open
<p>The Spring Prairie development in Kalispell is nearing capacity. The five large retail stores that occupy the north end of the shopping center are Ulta, Michaels, Cabela’s Outpost, Boot Barn and PetSmart. Cabela’s opened in 2013; the other four stores are scheduled to open in the next month.</p>
The majority of Kalispell commercial construction this year was concentrated at the north end of town in the Spring Prairie shopping center.
Many of these new stores will celebrate grand openings over the next month.
The Cabela’s Outpost Store that opened last year will be joined by several new retail stores, including Michaels craft store, PetSmart, Boot Barn and Ulta.
Michaels will open on Oct. 10 with a grand opening on Oct. 12, according to a company press release. The store will host a ribbon-cutting at 9:45 a.m. and officially open at 10. The store plans to give away more than $1,000 in gift cards and prizes each hour throughout the day, as well as host free craft demonstrations the following Monday through Friday from 6-8 p.m.
Michaels will be approximately 18,886 square feet and will employ more than 60 people.
PetSmart will celebrate its grand opening on Oct. 25, according to its national customer service team.
Boot Barn and Ulta, billed as a makeup superstore, are expected to open in mid-October, although exact dates are unknown.
According to Tom Jentz, Kalispell planning director, the northernmost phase of Spring Prairie is nearly full.
“There are only two pads left in that development,” Jentz said. “And we do have a business looking at purchasing one of them.”
If the deal goes through, there will be only one pad left in the nine-pad center. Jentz sees this as a large step forward for Kalispell’s growth and construction, and expects that the empty pads will fill up easily.
Also in the area is a MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill and Pub. A Verizon store will go into the newly built building on the corner of U.S. 93 and Treeline Road.
One empty free-standing pad in the parking lot eventually will be the site of a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Jentz said the restaurant bought the pad last year but does not have plans to build until 2015.
“They seem to do a lot of advanced planning in that way,” he said. The restaurant adds around 70 new establishments each year. This Chick-fil-A would be the first in the state; the next-closest is in Idaho Falls.
A plaza-like building called The Shops next to MacKenzie River will house four to five small businesses. As of now, Sport Clips, a barber shop designed for men, is the sole occupant so far and is expected to open during the next month.
“They’re doing what we call tenant improvements,” Jentz said. “They’re adjusting things and customizing the space.”
The development is spearheaded by The Kroenke Group, a real estate firm based in Missouri. The company is owned by billionaire E. Stanley Kroenke.
In past interviews, Jentz said The Kroenke Group has traditionally been involved in long-term management for properties, meaning the company is here to stay for awhile. Jentz said this is good for the community, creating stability.
The Kroenke Group also has leased Victory Commons, a 28-acre plot adjoining the Kidsports youth athletic complex. The plot is not currently zoned for city development and still needs water, sewer and parking plans. The Kroenke Group is in the preliminary stages of planning at this specific site, but is expected to begin submitting plans for development late this fall or spring of next year. Jentz said development at Victory Commons will not happen for at least two years.
The retail growth at the north end, along with other major projects such as The Rock medical building expansion, show that Kalispell is recovering from the crash in 2008, Jentz said.
He said the number of home-building permits is slightly higher than it was last year at this time, showing positive growth residentially as well.
“We’re really concentrating on creating affordable residential lots,” Jentz said. “There is still a bit of a hangover from the boom, meaning there is a supply of residential lots in the city, but they may not be affordable quite yet.”
Although it has been a successful year for development, Jentz reminded people to keep in mind the future construction of the U.S. 93 bypass around the west side of Kalispell.
“We’ll still have at least $30 million worth of jobs to bid out in the spring,” Jentz said.
“We don’t want people to lose sight of the bypass. It’s a very big job.”
Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at bloper@dailyinterlake.com.