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09/09/01 DI/Downtown Business Owners Fear Mall's ImpactDowptown By WILLIAM L. SPENCE The Daily Inter Lake business owners fear mall's 'impact Just as massive ice floes carved new shapes across the region 20,000 years ago, the pro- posed Glacier Mall has the potential to remake the local retail landscape. The 750,000-square-foot, fully enclosed shopping center would have four major department store tenants — each twice the size of anything in the Flathead Valley today as well as 75 to 80 specialty shops, a movie the ater and food court. Developer James "Bucky" Wolford has said his project would draw ten- ants away from Kalispell Center Mall, but he also believes it would expand Kalispell's trade area and reduce the number of people 'Kalispell will end up looking like Everywhere.' — Leisa Baldwin, Ena's Reflection who leave here to shop in Missoula or Spokane. Few local retailers have opposed the pro- posal during recent public hearings, but many still have strong opinions about the impact it would have. A sampling of their views: ® Any retailer who doesn't think business will be affected by Glacier Mall "has their head in the sand," said Bill Sargent, owner of Sargent's Jewelry. "There will be more compe- tition and more places for peo- ple to spend theirdisposable income," Sargent said. "We'll go from four or five jewelry stores, to eight or nine — with four of those in the mall." As for Kalispell Center, "I think within See DOWNTOWN on Page A3 Public 1 hearing1. plan set forSept. The Daily Inter Lake The Kalispell City Council will hold a public hearing on Sept. 17 on a master plan amendment requested by Woltbrd Development. The company wants to build a 750,000-square- foot shopping mall in Evergreen. Wolford needs the Kalispell City -County Master Plan amended to allow commercial uses on 147 acres just northeast of the intersection of LaSalle Road and East Reserve Drive. The master plan currently designates a variety See HEARING on Page A3 Store awnex°calls for united front three years it would be emp- ty," he said. Sargent opened his jewelry business 26 years ago. After 11 years on Main Street and another 15 in Kalispell Cen- ter Mall, he recently relocat- ed to Depot Park Square, across from Western Out- door. The argument that Main Street retailers will benefit from Glacier Mall's expanded. trade area "is a bunch of bunk," Sargent said. "I don't believe it. I'm going to lose business to the national chains that move in there." Nevertheless, as the Kalispell City Council pre- pares to address the master plan amendment needed for the project to proceed (see related story), he isn't look- ing for political interven- tion. "I think they have to leave It up to the free market," Sar- ;ent said. "It all boils down :o the consumer. If I'm not ;ood enough for them, then I lon't deserve to be in busi- less." He readily accepts that chal- enge — but with consumers oday focused mainly on price, •ather than value, it makes for m uphill battle for small, inde- )endent retailers. "In a lot of cases, I don't hink shoppers consider the otal value picture," Sargent aid. "Every time they spend a Lollar, they're deciding which iusiness will stay open. 'hey're voting for the kind of election, prices and service hat they want. "I probably have one person week come in who wants 7eir watch repaired," he said. They bought it at a store that oesn't offer service." ■ Several things about 'lacier Mall disturb Leisa and na Baldwin, including its npact on existing retail pace. "We can't fill the malls we ave, and we have 80,000. Iuare feet of space downtown fiat's already empty," said City manager wants city to retain oversight of uses for the area, includ- ing agricultural, commercial and light industrial. "We'll bold a public hear- ing on Sept. 17," said Kalispell City Manager Chris Kukulski. "I'm not anticipat- ing any council action at that time." The council will discuss the project, as well as public comments, during its Sept. 24 Ena, who 17 years ago opened Ena's Reflection, a second- hand women's clothing store, on Main Street. "The valley isn't ready for a mall that size," she said. "I have no argument with (Wol- ford), but I have a problem with the city council okaying the project. It will destroy the downtown area." "This business will make it — we're a destination place," Leisa said. "But Kalispell will end up look- ing like Everywhere. There are towns that have success- fully fought off Wal-Mart or Home Depot because they want to keep the charm of the area." She paused to joke with a couple of customers, both of whom she knew by name. "We're a second-hand busi- ness," she continued. "We take what's old and make it new — and 1 think we can use the building space we have and make it better. We can reuse it, versus pouring new concrete." ■ The downtown area is a vital part of any community, and Debbie Snyder doesn't expect that to change for Kalispell even if Glacier Mall is built. "I think people will always try something new, but they'll be back," said Snyder, co-own- er of Flowers by Hansen; a long-time Main Street busi- ness. workshop, he said. A major issue will be ensuring that the city continues to have some say in how the mall — and the surrounding proper- ty — is developed. "Once the master plan is amended, the city may never be asked to the party again," Kukulski said. Unless conditions can be attached so the city retains some oversight, "that might be reason to postpone" any Snyder, the wife of Daily Inter Lake Trade Show Man- ager Dan Snyder, recognized that a florist wouldn't face the same competition from a new mall as other downtown retail businesses. She also recog- nized that free enterprise is the foundation of our econo- my. "I think free enterprise is good," she said. "It's what keeps us going, and if each business gives good service and offers a quality product for a fair price, people will remember that. I think we can stand on that." ■ The close proximity between Kalispell Center Mall and the downtown merchants was one of the things Pat Bai- ley liked about Kalispell when he moved here four years ago. "I thought it was wonder- ful," Bailey said. "But this new mall will destroy down- town and the Kalispell mall. It will create a lot more office space." Bailey, the owner of Moun- tain Aire Music, has 22 years of experience in the music business. Prior to moving to the Flathead, he owned five music shops in Ohio — four of which had downtown loca- tions. Mountain Aire moved into .. the KM Building a year ago. It used to be located in Ever- green, where Glacier Mall decision, he said. Depending on how the Sept. 24 discussion goes, "Oct. 1 would be the earli- est we'd see any kind of motion on the table," Kukulski said. If conditions can't be added, Kukulski said, "who knows how long it will take? We need to be very deliber- ate and make sure we have time to get the answers we need." would be built. "I moved here because there's more (consumer) traf- fic," Bailey said. "I'm doing way more business here." However, while he cringes at the thought of what Glacier Mall would do to downtown Kalispell; Bailey is also critical of his fellow retailers. "You have to do what con- sumers want," even if that means staying open seven days a week, he said. "That's the first line of defense" against competi- tion. "Christmas Eve last year was on a Sunday," Bailey recalled. "I was open, but when I walked outside to look around, I saw the other stores on Main Street were closed. "At Kalispell Center Mall, the parking lot was full and cars were lined up along Cen- ter Street," he said. "On what's traditionally the sec- ond or third biggest day of the year, (downtown retail- ers) blew it off because it was a Sunday. It was my worst Christmas Eve in 22 years of business. "When a downtown works together, when it presents a unified front, its a mall," Bai- ley said. `But this downtown isn't unified."