For the first time in over 20 years, the former CenturyLink property at 290 Main St. is available for lease.

The 20,000-square-foot building was home to various telecom companies until 2017, when it became a vacant property near one of the busiest corners in Kalispell. Building Manager Sean Katona is working with real estate broker Linda Pintorese of Flathead Valley Brokers to revitalize the space and open it to new tenants.

“We’re currently giving the building a much-needed facelift,” said Katona at the building’s open house on June 25. The event opened the space to potential renters and offered tours of the building’s three levels and variety of office spaces.

“We’re working on a façade refresh to give it a 2020 feel instead of an ’80s feel,” Katona said. That refresh includes a “cosmetic revitalization” of the interior, including new paint, flooring, carpeting, hardware and trim. For the exterior, they envision a “mountain modern style that is congruent with the area.” They plan to add floor-to-ceiling windows for more natural light. Katona said he estimates the investment into six figures for the renovation.

“The space naturally fits three to five tenants easily,” Katona said, but he emphasized there is a lot of flexibility for the future of the building. He said that one tenant could take the entire 20,000-foot space, or it could be divided up between various complementary renters.

He said that there has been interest from businesses as varied as a yoga studio, a wine maker, title companies, brokers and traditional office users. They are considering some of the space going to CoWork users similar to the popular new Base Camp CoWorking in Whitefish.

“We want to put in here what the community wants to see,” Katona said.

Katona believes 290 Main St. offers a lot of advantages to local businesses. About 45,000 cars pass by the location near the corner of U.S. 93 and U.S. 2 every day. There is also the opportunity for signage all across the front of the building to advertise to the thousands of viewers who drive by daily.

He thinks tenants are also attracted by the ample parking on the street and behind the building, especially compared to the congestion farther south on Main Street. There are currently 65 parking spaces in a lot behind the building, and Katona said they are going to be strategic with who is using the building at what times in order to maximize parking space. They will also add new sealcoat and striping to the parking lot.

Potential tenants at the open house were excited about the building’s location and the potential of the revitalized space. A yoga instructor who is interested in opening a studio on the building’s lower level said she liked Katona’s vision for the future of the property, as well as the location in the valley. “The location is physically ideal,” she said.

They are currently pre-leasing office space at 290 Main St. Katona recommends renters take a physical or virtual tour of the space before submitting a letter of intent indicating how much space they would need, when they would like to move in and what physical changes they might need for their space. Contact information, virtual tours, floor plans and images are all available on their website, www.290main.com

“We hope to start swinging hammers around the end of the summer,” Katona said. He also said that they could work with individual tenants to have particular rooms ready earlier than the rest of the building.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at bserbin@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.