The transformation of the former Gateway West Mall into a collective of local nonprofits is in full swing.

One by one, former store fronts within the mall - now called Gateway Community Center - are being revamped and updated to accommodate a variety of nonprofit tenants.

Gateway Community Center Inc., itself a nonprofit, is leasing more than 55,000 square feet from American Capital to accommodate agencies that serve Northwest Montana. The city of Kalispell owns the portion of the former mall that's occupied by the TeleTech call center.

Other private-enterprise tenants - New West Insurance, Midas Muffler and the Mail Room - will remain in the mall along with TeleTech.

United Way, the fiscal agent for the community center, is set up in temporary quarters at the north end of the building, but will relocate to new space across the hallway once it's refurbished, United Way Director Sherry Stevens Wulf said. United Way's temporary facility is proposed to be a youth activity center.

"This is a community we're building here," Wulf said as she walked through the corridor Monday, pointing out new homes for nonprofits and the amount of corridor space that eventually will accommodate all kinds of offerings, from entertainment venues and art shows to space for avid walkers.

Court Appointed Special Advocates for Kids was the pilot project, Wulf said. It relocated to the mall more than two years ago to see whether the location would work for nonprofit agencies, and locating the program there has been very successful, she said.

The Violence Free Crisis Line is on site already. Next door, the Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country is nearly ready to move its administrative support team into refurbished space. Among the other nonprofits committed to the center are the Montana Conservation Corps and Summit Independent Living Center.

Flathead Food Bank is on track to move into the former Dollar Plus space next week.

There are only two spaces remaining in the main part of the former mall, along with the former Corral West store in the southwest corner where the Gateway Community Center board hopes the county Agency on Aging, Meals on Wheels and RSVP senior volunteer program will relocate.

Stopping in front of the former food court, Wulf pointed out that nonprofits also will be operating various food outlets, including a pizza restaurant, espresso bar with breakfast and lunch and a candy and cookie store. Another nonprofit will offer a training kitchen for basic food-service instruction.

The creation of Gateway Community Center culminates more than a dozen years of planning and discussions aimed at establishing a centralized service location for nonprofit agencies and their clients.

The idea of a central campus was a dream of Earl Bennett, longtime Flathead County administrator, who before his death was a driving force in the early planning stages for such a community center.

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