The new Lowe's Home Improvement store in Kalispell is on track for an early January opening, but plans for a new, larger Costco store have been pushed back a few months.

Grant Nelson with Denver-based Goldberg Properties Inc. said the 135,000-square-foot Lowe's building was turned over to the company by the general contractor on Wednesday. The new staff will spend the next several weeks stocking shelves in preparation for a Jan. 4 opening.

Lowe's was the first anchor tenant signed for the Spring Prairie Center, which Goldberg Properties is developing. When finished, the project will include about 480,000 square feet of retail space on 60 acres located at the southwest corner of the U.S. 93/West Reserve Drive intersection.

Costco has also agreed to build a 136,000-square-foot facility at the south end of the site. However, Nelson said the final details of that agreement were only recently completed. Consequently, the company was unable to start construction this fall.

"They'll start construction early next spring, and probably open towards the end of summer," Nelson said.

Much of the landscaping for the Lowe's site has been completed, he said. There are also plans for a bike path running along U.S. 93.

Goldberg signed a 50-year lease for the 60 acres last year, with options to extend it to 99 years. The lease payments will go to the state school trust system.

Besides Lowe's and Costco, negotiations are under way with a possible third anchor store, as well as several smaller retailers. However, Nelson said those discussions aren't at a point where specific company names can be announced.

"We think this area [Reserve and U.S. 93] will be the center point where people in the Flathead go to shop in the future," he said. "There's been an amazing amount of activity in that market, and we think it's going to continue."

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at [email protected]