County, city may collaborate on plan for new gym facility

The beginning of a partnership between Flathead County and the city of Kalispell is in the works for a multi-use recreational facility.

County Parks and Recreation Director Jed Fisher met with Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell and City Council member Tim Kluesner Wednesday to talk about how the two government entities can collaborate on a proposed $3.2 million gymnasium.

“They have great interest in the project and a possible partnership,” Fisher said. “The city has some ideas ... this is about people who need a decent facility.”

The county commissioners have allocated $1.5 million for the project, with the stipulation the remaining money be raised privately.

“I would like to have the site selected by the first of the year and start building within the next year,” Fisher continued. “We have a lot of interested people. We have very supportive politicians. I want to keep it moving.”

A Gym Advisory Committee has been meeting monthly to pursue the project.

“Possible locations have been narrowed down and space for future expansion will be a consideration,” committee member Kim Thomas said. “Organizations such as hockey and soccer clubs may be interested in a location for their own indoor facilities as well.”

She said a community gymnasium could be used for tournaments, shows or any number of other events.

Area Rotary clubs expressed interest in the project earlier this year during an exploratory meeting of stakeholders. Rotary’s youth basketball program has been hugely successful for 35 years in the Flathead Valley, giving hundreds of middle-schoolers a chance to play each year.

Two years ago Fisher began urging the commissioners to consider a self-sustaining athletic facility because of a diminishing amount of gymnasium time available throughout the county. The county’s adult and youth recreation programs are in “serious jeopardy” because of a lack of gym space at schools, he stressed.

Thomas said the Flathead County Fairgrounds and Flathead Valley Community College have been mentioned as possible locations.

“Members of the committee have met with representatives of both facilities and while they have vacant land available, each hopes to expand their own facilities in the near future,” Thomas said.

Davar, Vicki and Todd Gardner have offered to donate 20 acres of land south of Kalispell.

“This is a very generous offer and due to the overflow of traffic on the north side [of Kalispell], it is a strong possibility,” Thomas added.

The Conrad Complex also has been discussed, she said. The Conrad Memorial Cemetery Board leases the ballfield complex to the county.

“In order to move forward in considering [the Conrad Complex] as a possible location the current owners have been approached to see if they are interested in selling this property,” Thomas said.

The former Walmart building in Evergreen remains in the running, too, and an infrastructure analysis will be completed for that building and any other buildings that may be a viable option.

The county has a buy-sell agreement in place for the Walmart building, but Fisher said in all likelihood the building will be better suited for a county jail than having to raise the roof and create a gymnasium.

CTA Architects Engineers is doing the preliminary design work and community needs assessment.

The county’s youth and adult recreation programs serve well over 3,000 county residents annually. Basketball, volleyball, T-ball and flag football are offered to children, while adults can tap into basketball, flag football and softball leagues.

Once constructed, the athletic facility would be self-sustaining, Fisher said. It would be pay to play.

The county gets about $160,000 a year from user fees from sports programs.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.