COLUMBIA FALLS — Several thousand acres of the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (CFAC) property have been purchased by a local developer.
The deal is for more than 2,400 acres that will be used for residential and commercial construction. CFAC announced the buyer is Ruis Construction.
The sale is expected to be completed once the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews the property to make sure the site is safe and ready for development.
The developer intends to put affordable housing in this area alongside commercial areas and recreational areas such as baseball fields and a walking path.
There is hope that commercial projects could help ease the job loss felt by the closure of the aluminum plant.
The impacted CFAC Superfund Site will not be included in this sale. The EPA defines a Superfund sire as a location that is polluted with hazardous materials.
CFAC land has been transformed in the past. Back in 2022, 772 acres along the Flathead River owned by CFAC was turned into the Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area.
More information will be shared as timelines for the project are established.
