Outdoor retailer REI planning Kalispell store
An REI store in Mountain View, California. The outdoor retailer is planning a Kalispell location. (Wikipedia photo)
Plans are in the works for an REI store in North Kalispell.
The giant outdoor gear retailer is going through the permitting process with the city and is negotiating with the Spring Prairie developers to move into a space between Home Goods and Hobby Lobby off U.S. 93 on the north side of town.
No contracts have been signed making the deal certain, but similar proposals that reach this stage of the planning process end up moving to town about 90 percent of the time, said Tom Jentz, planning and building director with the city of Kalispell.
The architectural review for the 20,000-square-foot space has already been approved by the city, and building plans were recently submitted. The city has approximately 60 days to approve those, said P.J. Sorenson, a planner with the city.
If all goes according to plan, Jentz said the store could be through the permitting process and approved to open in as little as six to nine months, but it could also be longer depending on how the store chooses to proceed.
A spokesperson for REI declined to comment for this story.
REI, which stands for Recreational Equipment, Inc., sells sporting goods, travel equipment, camping gear and clothing. They have a unique business model where customers can become members by paying a one-time $20 fee and can then cast a vote in elections that choose the board of directors. Customers do not have to be a member to shop at REI.
REI was formed in 1938, and has 147 stores in 36 states. Two of the stores are in Montana, in Missoula and Bozeman. In 2016, the Missoula REI ranked second in the country, according to a report by NBC Montana. REI reported annual revenues of $2.4 billion in 2015, according to their annual stewardship and earnings report.
Sally Jewell, who was Secretary of the Interior from 2013 until Ryan Zinke was appointed in 2017, served as the chief executive of REI from 2005 until her appointment.
Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com or (406) 758-4438.