KALISPELL – A rail-served industrial park under construction on the northeast edge of Kalispell will have a grand opening next week.
Kim Morisaki with Montana West Economic Development says the improved roads and utilities in the area will benefit not just Glacier Rail Park, but also the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.
“All the train track will be in for all of the users in the park all of the safety equipment where the train track intersects with the public roads and all the public roads will be finished,” Morisaki said.
The grand opening of Glacier Rail Park is slated for Monday with a ribbon cutting and a ceremonial driving of a Golden Spike. A community ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 10 a .m.
The $21 million Kalispell project that launched in 2012 includes the Glacier Rail Park and Trail System downtown got a push in 2012 with a $10 million TIGER grant from the US Department of Transportation.
Harvest States — a Fortune 100 company — is in the process of moving to the new rail park – and Northwest Drywall has already moved there. The removal of the existing railroad tracks is likely to begin in spring of 2020.
Additional new development in the Kalispell Core Area is expected once the rail is removed and the new pedestrian trail and linear park are constructed.
-Nicole Miller reporting for MTN News
