Flathead County Library looks to build new Kalispell branch on mall property

Flathead County Library officials signed a letter of intent Thursday to purchase several acres of property at the Kalispell Center Mall for a future branch for the municipality.  

The letter of intent, brokered by PureWest Real Estate, outlines the basic terms of an agreement between the library and the seller, Parkline Partners LP. As per the document, the library will buy a plot of land no bigger than two acres at 20 N. Main St. for $2.5 million. 

While the letter of intent does not include a specific location on the property, Flathead County Library Director Teri Dugan said the forthcoming branch would go up in the northwest corner of the land.  

The new library building is described in the letter as a single level, 40,000-square-foot building with access to the Parkline Trail and adequate parking. 

Both the library and the Flathead Library Foundation are working to secure funding for the project. A potential closing on the property would happen within a year of an accepted purchase agreement, according to the letter. 

The library’s ability to purchase the property is conditional on its ability to obtain financing or funding from private and public sources. The library system’s Board of Trustees asserted Thursday that it is working closely with the foundation to develop a plan.  

“The current facility is lacking, and we have an exciting opportunity; we still need to cross a lot of T’s and dot a lot of I’s,” said board Vice Chair Carmen Cuthbertson at the trustees’ Feb. 27 meeting. 

The seller is required to obtain a survey of the exact location so a site inspection can occur. The closing must happen within 30 days of that point. 

Discussions about a future library have been ongoing for years with trustees often citing the existing Kalispell branch’s myriad disadvantages. The three-floor building at 247 First Ave. E. is difficult to monitor, needs regular repairs and the library system’s lease on the property ends within the next decade. Kalispell Public Schools owns the building. 

In October 2022, the board toyed with moving the Kalispell branch to the Gateway Community Center, formerly the Gateway West Mall, along with a few other county entities. The option was unpopular among both the public and trustees. The deal never went through but was reconsidered in March 2023.  

The board also considered the former Herberger’s and the National Flood Building at one point.  

Along with signing the letter of intent, the Board of Trustees edited and approved its capital campaign agreement on Thursday with the Flathead Library Foundation detailing the responsibilities of each party for planning, designing, financing and constructing the new space. The foundation will review the document before it becomes official.  

Phase 1 of the project will cover the purchase of the land, according to the agreement, and Phase 2 the design work. Phase 3 will encapsulate the branch's construction. 

The foundation must provide proof of sufficient funds before construction begins and the library may acquire additional funding by any legal means available, the agreement states. 

There was no hesitation among board members about the location of the future branch. They cited its proximity to downtown Kalispell and the Parkline Trail as advantages. The new location gives the option for a more dynamic and modern space, Trustee Jane Wheeler said during the discussion.  

The common concern was arranging the financing. 

“It is undetermined, but we are working very closely with the foundation to come up with a plan,” Dugan said.  

Trustee Doug Adams expressed caution about the undertaking, worried that the excitement might be premature.  

“Until we pay for it, it's all hopes and dreams,” Adams said. 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.