New development unfolds in Polson
<p>The Red Lion Hotel, left, and Valley Glass, bottom right, are currently under construction in Ridgewater Properties, located on the south side of Polson off U.S. 93. Both businesses are slated to be open for business in early summer.</p>
After nearly two decades of planning, the dreams of one Polson landowner are finally coming to fruition.
Ridgewater Properties, 313 acres of commercial and residential land in south Polson along U.S. 93, is beginning to grow into the “village” that landowner Mike Maddy and Realtor Dennis Duty first envisioned when Maddy purchased the property in 1999.
“This layout is going to be master-planned so everything flows together,” Maddy said. “We’ll have bike paths, walking areas, and it will all fit together.”
Construction is already well under way on a new 80-room Red Lion Hotel, attached McKenzie River Pizza Grill and Pub and a new Valley Glass retail location, all set to open in early summer.
The Polson Clinic, an outpost of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, has been completed and opened Feb. 9, while O’Reilly Auto Parts opened on the lot closest to the U.S. 93 intersection in October.
The Polson Clinic currently has three on-site doctors but eventually is expected to draw more specialists from Kalispell Regional so Polson residents will not have to commute to Kalispell for medical care, according to Maddy.
Ridgewater owners have several more businesses scheduled to be built.
First City Bank plans to build a drive-up ATM kiosk west of O’Reilly Auto Parts. Taco Bell has a plot of land along U.S. 93 and plans to build as soon as possible.
St. Luke Community Hospital of Ronan will open a clinic in the development that will be in addition to its existing Polson clinic.
The property has 63 acres of commercially zoned land, 80 acres for multifamily housing and 170 acres for single-family housing. The residential areas, set on the hill above town on Long Lake Drive and Ridgewater Drive, began developing in 2005.
“We wanted that portion to come at a natural pace,” Maddy said. “People are beginning to look at building their own homes again, and these are great plots to do that on.”
The owners have been concentrating on the lower commercial half of the property.
The Mission Valley Aquatic Center was built in 2013 on land donated by Ridgewater Properties, and Ridgewater now plans to develop the area surrounding the aquatic center to create an all-inclusive complex that would include six soccer fields and an indoor ice rink.
The Rails-to-Trails bike path will run through the development, creating easy walking access.
“It will be so nice for people to be able to check in to their hotel, get a bite to eat and walk to their soccer game or swim meet,” Maddy said.
The owners have several more businesses interested in developing plots but could not disclose specifics due to confidentiality agreements.
They said their ideal finished product would include a coffee shop, 24-hour gym, more restaurants and shopping.
They still have several parcels of land not yet spoken for, including four prime spots along U.S. 93.
Ridgewater Properties has become a hub for medical facilities, much to the surprise of the owners. In addition to the two clinics, they expect one or two national chains such as physical therapy or dental offices.
The owners would also like to add an assisted living complex.
“Polson is known as a great place to retire, and those people need to have somewhere to go as they progress,” said Duty, who added that they hope to have several stages for assisted living, such as an independent living senior community, assisted living and full-time care.
Regardless of how many new businesses go into the development, the owners are clear that they are not competing with downtown Polson.
The land has been zoned for commercial growth since 1993, before Maddy bought the land. The city had always intended to expand southward, according to Duty.
Ridgewater will draw larger events such as conventions and tournaments, according to Duty. Previously, there were few hotels and amenities for large events. Ridgewater hopes to work with other members of the business community to draw in events that will benefit the entire area.
“We’re happy with the progress that has been made so far and we’re looking forward to everything that’s going to come,” Maddy said. “A lot of towns have been formed piece by piece, but we really planned this out to be well-rounded.”
For more information, go online to www.ridgewatermt.com or call 883-1730.
Reporter Brianna Loper may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at bloper@dailyinterlake.com.