Gateway Community Center purchased for $2.4 million

With financial assistance from an anonymous donor, a newly created nonprofit entity has purchased the Gateway West Mall building for $2.4 million, enabling the Gateway Community Center in Kalispell to continue its mission of serving nonprofits.

Westside Center for Community Change, to be known as Westside CCC, is the new entity that will hold the asset of the property apart from the assets of the Northwest Montana United Way, according to United Way Director Sherry Stevens.

United Way, the fiscal agent and project facilitator for Gateway Community Center, recently had launched a fundraising campaign to purchase 100,643 square feet of the former mall building that is home to 11 nonprofit groups. Earlier this year an online auction failed to attract any bidders for the portion of the building owned by American Capital Management.

Another portion of the mall — 60,000 square feet occupied by the TeleTech call center — is owned by the Flathead County Economic Development Authority and is not affected by the purchase of the remaining mall space.

Stevens said the anonymous donor, a local citizen, stepped forward to help United Way complete the financing package for the purchase.

“There were many community players that came together to make Earl Bennett’s dream a reality,” Stevens said, referring to the late Flathead County administrator who pushed for a centralized center for nonprofit organizations.

Stevens listed Glacier Bank, Montana West Economic Development, PureWest Real Estate; Moore, Cockrell, Goicoechea & Johnson PC; JCCS CPAs PC, Rotary Clubs, private donors and numerous professionals who gave of their time to guide United Way through the process.

“We are grateful to the Kalispell Ministerial Association and the hundreds of individuals who have been praying about the outcome of the purchase,” Stevens said. “It is truly a miracle for which we give thanks.”

Jim Oliverson, vice president of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, will serve as chairman of Westside CCC. He noted that saving the community investment in Gateway Community Center was critical, and lauded the hundred of volunteers who have devoted time and energy to the effort.

The transformation of the mall into a community center materialized in 2009. Since then volunteers, businesses, churches, service clubs and builders have contributed more than $850,000 in building materials and donations.

A Save the Gateway fundraising campaign will continue, with a plan to pay off the purchase price within five years, Stevens said.

A building moratorium on interior upgrades has been in place throughout the purchase process, but has been lifted.

“Now we’ll start building right away to have more on-site activities,” she said.

Gateway Community Center will house 17 agencies once the build-out is complete. The campus arrangement allows nonprofits to share services, reducing duplication and administration overhead.

Oliverson said “there is lots of work to be done, but the purchase is a landmark event that will propel the project forward.”

Volunteers will be needed as building the remaining units resumes. People with carpentry skills may call the center office at 752-7266.

Donations to Save the Gateway campaign may be mailed to P.O. Box 7684, Kalispell, MT 59904.

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