Spring Prairie Development gains momentum

Concrete walls climbed quickly last week, forming the initial shape of Hobby Lobby, Kalispell’s newest store in the Spring Prairie Development.

Hobby Lobby is the next business set for Spring Prairie Phase Four, on the 28-acre lot north of Kidsports. The arts and crafts store follows the Marriot Springhill Suites and Krispy Kremes, along with Mattress Firm and Costa Vida, set to open in the coming months. Crews first broke ground in the Phase Four area in July 2015. The designs put 14 building pads in the area, entirely on state school trust land.

The Hobby Lobby building designs call for a 54,000-square-foot structure. Kalispell Planning and Building Director Tom Jentz said three or four additional big box store pads will be built adjacent to the Hobby Lobby, although the crafts merchant will be the largest in the bunch.

Karen Blumenstein, owner of Flower and Stone, which is representing the Spring Prairie developers, said she expects Hobby Lobby to open in early winter of 2017.

“That’s when they’re shooting to be open,” Blumenstein said.

Blumenstein added that the developers are currently negotiating with some other large companies to fill the building pads next to Hobby Lobby. She said developers hope to break ground on those buildings by the time ground thaws in April. They also hope to have the building permit process begun around the first of the year.

“That tells you we’re close to quite a few,” she said.

Along with the new line of big box stores, two smaller-scale tenants are en route to opening in the coming months. Both Mattress Firm and Costa Vida have taken over spaces from the construction crews and have begun filling out the stores. Blumenstein said Mattress Firm could be open in the coming weeks, while Costa Vida — a higher-end, quick-serve Mexican restaurant — will likely open during the first quarter of 2017.

WITH PHASE four finally buzzing after months of connecting the area to city services, Phase Three of Spring Prairie Development will finalize with a long-awaited Chick-fil-A opening, scheduled tentatively for Nov. 17. The fast-food chain is one of the last businesses planned for Phase Three, the north end of Spring Prairie near West Reserve Drive, while most other businesses in the phase opened during the last two years. Two more tenants will be announced for the shops building next to Mackenzie River Pizza, Grill and Pub in the coming months.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.