Big things are happening in downtown Kalispell: Two new bars, a new restaurant and a church expansion, plus renovations and improvements up and down Main Street.

The opening of the revived Kalispell Bar within the next week or two is poised to revive the downtown scene, which used to boast seven bars on the same block.

Manager Jeff Epperly hopes the bar will act as an epicenter of activity. Epperly comes to the bar with four years of food-and-beverage experience at Buffalo Hill Golf Course. A former basketball player at Flathead High School and Montana State University, Epperly brings a bona fide love of sports to the business.

"It's a little bit of everything," Epperly said of the Kalispell Bar, which is owned by Butch and Janet Clark, who own the Kalispell Grand and the Kalispell Casino. "It's very sports-oriented. It's a rallying place for sports and hanging out. I think we'll get a good lunch crowd and a good after-five work crowd."

The Kalispell Bar occupies the former Painted Horse restaurant space. While the decor will remain much the same as it was during the Painted Horse era, the Clarks have installed 13 high-definition televisions, which each have their own receivers, so 13 different channels can be aired at once. A meeting space in back can be closed off from the main bar for conferences. The bar will have wi-fi.

Epperly plans an all-day menu and has hired a chef. The manager also plans to add sports memorabilia to the walls over time.

"We'll be the only full-service bar on Main Street," Epperly said. "It's interesting, there's a surge of downtown activity. It's great."

Another new downtown bar, Red's Roost in the KM Building on Second Street East, opened in early September.

Across the street between Books West and the Stone Chair, Tacos Caliente is moving from its First Avenue East and Center Street location. Tacos is set to open in November.

Debbie Snyder, owner of the building that Flowers by Hansen occupies, said that it's important to keep buildings current to ensure a longer life span. Snyder recently replaced the roof in the building and updated the heating system.

"Downtown Kalispell has a lot to offer," Snyder said. "There are vital, beautiful buildings that need to be preserved. I believe in the longevity of downtown. I want to be a good steward of the building I own. It's been owned by a lot of people. It's been here over 100 years. I can give it a longer life."

On Sept. 11, Fresh Life Church purchased the Liberty Theater to accommodate a rapidly growing congregation. The church has been offering overflow seating outside on the pavement but needed to make other arrangements with winter coming on. The church will utilize the theater's 500 seats, connecting the space to the Strand Theatre by fiber-optic cables.

High-definition screens will broadcast what's going on in each theater. Fresh Life will open the Liberty for its first service on Nov. 15.

Another building that has been upgraded in recent years is the Whipps Building, where Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., keeps an office.

Pam Mower, who owns the Whipps Building with husband, Mike, and brother Tom Armbruster, bought the building in December 2002.

The building was in rough shape at first. The Mowers and Armbruster, with contractor Tom Cichowski, had to tear out five faux ceilings, repair woodwork, add a new staircase and replace 56 windows with custom casings.

"We didn't know the structure of the building. The good news is the bones were really good," Mower said. "It's been a lot of fun renovating this building. It's been a very fulfilling experience."

Mower said the renovations of the Whipps Building, along with Bill Goodman's restorative work on the KM Building, have sparked a rejuvenation downtown.

"It's been really fun to see people pick up that thread of 'Hey, we've got a cool downtown, let's make it look great,'" Mower said. "I think our downtown is pretty much the heart and soul of this community. "These buildings are a big piece of history."

Reporter K.J. Hascall may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at kjhascall@dailyinterlake.com