The Texas company that purchased the Kalispell Center Mall last year is in negotiation with three potential anchors to join the commercial space.  

Specific plans for the building, which is located on Main Street and runs adjacent to the Parkline Trail, could be released by late summer, Daniel Fuller of SHOP Development Company recently told the Inter Lake. For now, it remains a “fluid process” with confidentiality agreements precluding the release of further details, he said.  

“Our group remains very excited about the redevelopment opportunities for the mall property,” Fuller said. 

The company says the mall, which it calls the Parkline District property, “presents an extraordinary opportunity to redevelop an irreplaceable infill property in a high growth market by repositioning the asset and increasing density under zoning by right.”  

A central spot for shopping for the greater Flathead Valley community in the past, the mall featured outposts from well-known chains like Payless ShoeSource, Orange Julius and Herberger’s, its 348,742 square feet of commercial space full of shoppers. 

Today, it's quieter, with large metal gates blocking the entrances of empty storefronts.  

After years of store turnover, the new owners say that the shopping mall — located on about 22 acres — is listed as an important property in city planning documents.  

The Kalispell 2012 Core Area Plan outlines a vision to expand the mall into a “lifestyle center.” It calls for new commercial development in the Core Area of the city, including the expansion of the Kalispell Center Mall to provide a more “attractive and diverse shopping experience.” 

Little has been released as to a plan thus far, to some frustration from community members and shop owners. Kalispell Chamber of Commerce officials have indicated that the mall will be discussed at an upcoming Kalispell Growth Summit in May. 

STORE OWNERS in the mall also want to see success from the shopping center’s new ownership.  

Camas Creek Cottage moved into the building six months ago after having operated on Main Street for years. Owner Micki Gette said the large parking lot and accessibility are benefits of the new location.  

“We want more business,” she said. “Who doesn’t?”  

The lack of business has been tumultuous for many stores, according to Jacqulyn Baerveldt, manager at The Sunflower Moose boutique.  She reminisced on the mall years ago, when it was filled with stores, and families frequented its corridors.  

“[The new owners] said that they wanted to get shops in to get it up and running,” she said. “But that was months ago.”  

Built in 1986, the Kalispell Center Mall transformed an old railroad yard site into a shopping destination after a market study revealed a lack of shopping access in the Flathead Valley. When it opened the mall boasted 42 stores, including national department store chains Herberger’s and JCPenney, which remains in the building today. 

Herberger’s finished a 40,000-square-foot expansion in 2017, but closed the following year after its parent company was sold for liquidation. 

A few local businesses remain, including the Isle of Misfits pop culture store, Elly Jaymes boutique and the Hungry Hun restaurant. Corporate stores like Bath & Body Works and Maurices occupy spots, along with optical chain LensCrafters. 

The Red Lion Hotel Kalispell, owned and operated by the Sonesta International Hotel Group, is located at the east end of the mall with a casino, hotel and event space.  

SHOP has properties across the United States, among them two properties in Whitefish. It owns the building on Second Street occupied by the restaurant Indah Sushi and the under-construction Larch House, a 39-room luxury hotel expected to open downtown in late summer. 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected].

    Kalispell Center Mall on Wednesday, March 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider