Whitefish hotel expansion goes before City Council
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 3 weeks AGO
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is Deputy Editor for Features at the Daily Inter Lake. She leads coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, and community. Desch works with reporters and contributors to develop feature storytelling that highlights the people, traditions and events that shape the NW Montana region. In her leadership role, she guides feature content across both print and digital platforms. Her work helps connect readers with the stories that define the community beyond the daily news cycle. IMPACT: Heidi’s work highlights the people, traditions and local culture that make Northwest Montana unique. | November 2, 2025 11:00 PM
A hotel along the Whitefish River is looking to expand by converting an office building on the same property into lodging.
The Riverfront Hotel heads before the Whitefish City Council on Monday, requesting a conditional use permit to create nine units in the building to the south of the hotel located on Spokane Avenue.
The units would be one- to three-bedroom suites that include full kitchens. The units would have access to the amenities in the main building.
City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St.
Regarding another business, Wild Coffee is requesting a conditional use permit to use a beer and wine license at its cafe on Central Avenue. The license was approved for use at a previous business, and the owner wants to transfer the license to the cafe.
An update to the city’s architectural review standards also goes before Council. The city is changing the term formula retail to formula business in its standards.
The change is being made to match a previously approved update to the city’s zoning code pertaining to formula business.
During a work session at 6:15 p.m., an update on the Whitefish Rail Corridor Crossing Study is being presented.
Whitefish in 2023 received federal funding to study railroad crossings in the city. The study is examining Birch Point Drive, State Park Road and East Second Street and the Wisconsin Avenue viaduct. The objective is to evaluate the safety, roadway connectivity and the potential for improvements at the rail crossing locations.
Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 406-758-4421 or [email protected].
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