Now doesn’t this looks better?

Just think how nice it will be when you get your business inside!

Give us a call or email to find out about leasing today!

100 central

You might have seen this in the Flathead Beacon- It’s going to be a MAJOR improvement to downtown and especially to 100 Central in Whitefish!!:

Renovation will include landscaping and decorative streetlights

Whitefish Downtown Project to Go Up For Bid

An artist’s rendering of Central Avenue improvements. - Old Town Creative Communications, LLC

After five years of workshops and tinkering, as well as a late opposition movement over the past month, a multi-million dollar street project in downtown Whitefish is ready to go up for bid.

On April 6, the Whitefish City Council will vote on whether to proceed with advertising bids for the first phase of construction. The project is slated to break ground in the fall.

It has long been known that the city needs improvements to its downtown storm drainage and main water system, which includes replacing pipes and manholes. The renovations would require tearing up the streets and sidewalks, so for the past six years city officials have been looking into options to make downtown more attractive upon rebuilding it.

In 2004, a team of engineers and planners led by Portland-based Crandall Arambula held the first of six public workshops as it developed a downtown improvements project. The idea is to make the city’s core more pedestrian friendly, with landscaping, decorative lights and other features for both aesthetic and practical reasons – the practicality stemming from the belief that better-looking shopping districts attract more visitors and thus stimulate the local economy.

A variety of concepts – including mid-block crosswalks – ultimately met the chopping block, leading up to the current plan. The proposal now calls for gently raised crosswalks that eliminate the sharp curbs at intersections; “bulb-outs” at the corners of intersections which will have landscaping such as trees; benches; bike racks; decorative streetlights to replace the current ones and other features.

The focus of the project is Central Avenue, as well as the intersecting First and Third streets. The sidewalks will be widened along those streets, sticking with the pedestrian friendly theme while subsequently narrowing the driving lanes slightly. Engineers say it will also improve storm water drainage.

Public Works Director John Wilson said if the city were to make the water system and drainage improvements, and then rebuild the streets and sidewalks exactly how they were before, the cost would only be $124,000 cheaper than the current plan with the aesthetic additions. A few improvements to sewer lines will also occur.

In February, downtown property owner Toby Scott distributed a petition supporting the replacement of utilities and streetlights, but opposing features such as wider sidewalks and raised crosswalks. The petition prompted a public meeting at the O’Shaughnessy Center on March 25. The Heart of Whitefish, a nonprofit group that has been instrumental in the project’s planning process, organized the gathering.

About 60 people showed up at the O’Shaughnessy meeting, which mostly revisited the same concerns that have been raised in the past: the effect the project will have on both parking and driving space; the price tag; the necessity of certain aesthetic additions; who is responsible for maintaining the bulb-outs; snow removal issues and other questions.

Rhonda Fitzgerald of the Heart of Whitefish stresses that “the enhancements do not cause a loss of parking spaces.” The city has to eliminate four spots to get up to date on safety and handicap codes, not to make room for the pedestrian friendly improvements, Fitzgerald said.

Initial estimates pegged the price tag at roughly $5.5 million. Wilson said the inflated figure was a safe estimate to compensate for possible unforeseen costs and contingencies. He said the true figure, as recently calculated, is $4.3 million, within the $4.4 million allocated by the resort tax committee. Resort tax funds will pay for the entire project.

Peter Elespuru, a local Realtor, has argued at public meetings that it’s unfair to put so many of the resort tax funds into one project, while leaving out other infrastructure needs. He reiterated this stance at the O’Shaughnessy Center, saying: “What about my business? What about my street?”

Mayor Mike Jenson emerged from the audience and grabbed the microphone to refute Elespuru’s claims. Jenson argued that downtown retail businesses generate “the lion’s share” of resort tax revenues and, to date, haven’t seen the fruits of their efforts. Resort taxes are collected through 2 percent assessments of a business’s gross monthly sales and are reserved in a fund for infrastructure improvements. Many in the crowd clapped when Jenson spoke.

Construction will take place during the shoulder seasons – fall and spring – beginning after Labor Day this year and running through 2012. Under this plan, construction would not inhibit the busy winter and summer seasons.

Here it gets interesting!  Can you see what we’re working towards? Look Quick because we move fast!

100 central avenue in whitefish

We got the deck, facade, and other wall hangings off, and it’s starting to take shape!

You might have seen this article in the Flathead Beacon:

Western Montana Real Estate Fund evaluating other properties in the area

Investors to Remodel Former Whitefish Nightclub

A group of investors announced plans this week to remodel a former nightclub in downtown Whitefish. Construction has begun on the building, located at 100 Central Avenue, and the Western Montana Real Estate Fund is already negotiating with prospective tenants interested in leasing street-level space.

The vacant building once housed Flanagan’s Central Station, a staple in the Flathead Valley’s music scene well known for bringing some of the biggest bands to the area. But after several run-ins with local police and state liquor authorities, Jim Flanagan was forced to shut his doors in September of 2007. Before Flanagan moved in, it was home to Coaches Corner.

In its latest reincarnation, more than the name on the front door will change. General contractor Hammerquist Casalegno will be giving the exterior a substantial facelift. The I-beams protruding from the front window will be removed, the façade will be set back further from the sidewalk and the building will be painted.

“Our primary goal for 100 Central was to clean up the cluttered exterior and make it less imposing to pedestrians when they walk by,” said Mark Young, an architect with Jackola Engineering & Architecture.

The upgrade is scheduled for completion by the end of June. Marshall Friedman, a Whitefish resident and investor in the project, says its too early to speculate on who may eventually move in. The two levels can be offered as two large spaces or divvied up into multiple ones; and while the ground level will remain retail, Friedman said the upstairs, with its high ceilings and wide-open floor plan, could accommodate commercial or residential tenants.

“There’s going to be a lot of interest as people see what’s happening,” Friedman said. “I think they will be contacting us about different uses and we will evaluate each one as they come up.”

The mission of the Western Montana Real Estate Fund is to “acquire property that will appreciate over a three- to five-year period,” and Friedman said 100 Central Avenue fit that criteria.

“We are optimistic and actively purchasing properties in the local market,” Alan Elm, another investor in the group, said. “We believe the current economic conditions will lead to a return of a strong real estate market and feel that Whitefish is poised as one of the most attractive areas of investment for real estate.”

You may have sen this piece about 100 Central Ave in Whitefish.

New owners revamp old Whitefish nightclub

By LYNNETTE HINTZE/Daily Inter Lake

A former nightclub with a dominating architectural presence in downtown Whitefish is getting a face lift and a new lease on life from new owners.

The vacant, boarded-up Flanagan’s Central Station, which closed in 2007 after numerous liquor-law violations, has been purchased by the Western Montana Real Estate Fund.

Negotiations are under way with prospective ground-floor tenants. Plans for the upper level are still being evaluated, according to the Fund, a group of local investors who purchase properties “for the goal of appreciation.”

The first order of business is a facade redesign that will remove the prominent decorative I-beam exterior trim that protrudes from the building’s side. Artists or other community residents interested in obtaining one of the I-beams can contact Marshall Friedman, one of the Fund investors, at 862-8212.

In place of the I-beams, large, exposed wooden beams will be used on the front of the faade, stained in historic colors similar to other downtown landmarks. The upper balcony will be removed for a cleaner look, while the facade facing Central Avenue will be set back 16 feet from the sidewalk, creating an outdoor alcove for dining and enjoying Central Avenue.

Jackola Engineering & Architecture headed the redesign, which was approved by the city’s Architectural Review Committee. The remodeling began on Monday.

Mark Young, an architect with Jackola, said the primary goal was to clean up the cluttered exterior and make it less imposing to pedestrians.

The towering 9,200-square foot, two-story building anchors the southwest corner of Central Avenue and First Street.

“Our fund is bullish on the future of Whitefish real estate, which is one reason we purchased this prominent commercial property in downtown and have chosen to remodel the exterior more in liking to the aesthetics of our wonderful mountain town,” Friedman said in a press release. “We consider this location to be one of the top commercial corners in the state and are really optimistic about the long-term value of Whitefish real estate.”

Alan Elm, another investor in the group, said the fund is actively purchasing local properties.

“We are seasoned investors and no-hassle buyers who care about Whitefish and can move quickly if the opportunity is right,” Elm said. “We believe the current economic conditions will lead to a return of a strong real estate market and feel that Whitefish is poised as one of the most attractive areas of investment for real estate.”

The nightclub opened in December 2000 as Julio’s Coaches Corner under the ownership of Julio Delgado, Robert Frank and Bill Leonard. It doubled as a sports bar and restaurant.

When Jim Flanagan bought the business in 2004, it became an entertainment hot spot that attracted big-name acts. But the club also gained notoriety for racking up eight liquor-law violations over three years until the state forced its closure.

Well, sorry, we didn’t memorialize the  demolition with a photo- if you’re looking for some firewood from the log facade, please let us know!

This landmark structure renovations began-

Now, it may be fortunate that we don’t have many ‘before’ pictures for this one!

Check our our next posts for the later shots!

You May Remember this, memorialized by the Flathead Beacon:

Flanagan’s to Close in Wake of Alcohol Violations

Authorities Force Shutdown of Club

- Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

WHITEFISH – Flanagan’s Central Station drew bigger bands and better musicians than Whitefish has ever seen – but the club couldn’t stay on the right side of the local police and the state liquor authorities, and next week it will close its doors after a three-year run.

Whitefish city attorney John Phelps welcomed the club’s demise, calling it “a positive thing for the city that [Jim Flanagan] is going out of business.” Repeated citations for underage drinking and serving after hours were about to cost Flanagan his liquor license, state officials confirmed, and Flanagan decided to get out while he still had the chance. He plans to open a new club in Missoula.

Whether Flanagan’s was a bad actor or whether it simply drew more attention from authorities, however, is in dispute. Assistant Chief Michael Ferda of the Whitefish Police said he and Flanagan had numerous tense discussions, with Flanagan asserting that his bar was being targeted more than the older, more established bars on Central Avenue. “We have a pretty contentious relationship with Jim Flanagan,” Ferda said. “I think Jim Flanagan felt we focused way too much on him.”

Flanagan declined to address that issue directly. But he clearly regrets that he has to shut down. “People don’t seem to want this here,” he said last week.

The police say it’s simply about the alcohol violations – as well as other matters ranging from pot-smoking patrons to too many neon signs in the windows.

Detective Travis Bruyer of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Department, coordinator of the Alcohol Enforcement Team (AET), sets up the “compliance checks” every few months where an underage person is sent into a bar or liquor store to try and purchase alcohol with their real ID, which shows that they are under 21. Performed four times a year, the compliance checks can hit as many as 30 establishments in one night. Over the last three years, Bruyer said he has conducted five compliance checks at Flanagan’s. It failed four times. In September, Flanagan’s Central Station received four violations over the span of four days for being open and serving after 2 a.m.

Bruyer recalled doing a “bar check” last winter, where an officer walks through the bar to check IDs at random. Stepping out onto the balcony, Bruyer said, was like “getting punched in the face” with marijuana smoke. Citing three individuals, Bruyer went to inform the manager on duty and found him drunk. “Little things like that wouldn’t necessarily go in a report,” Bruyer said. “Once you get a reputation as that kind of a place, I think it hurts your business in the long run.”

City attorney Phelps said he has threatened to charge Flanagan with misdemeanors for minor violations of city ordinances like having too many neon signs in the windows and posting fliers all over town to announce a big show. He didn’t pursue those violations aggressively, Phelps said, because he thought Flanagan’s Central Station would be going out of business soon anyway.

But the violations that took down Flanagan’s had to do with alcohol – and the huge financial risk associated with possibly losing a liquor license. Late in 2006, the state liquor control division issued a “notice of revocation” to Flanagan informing him that the state intended to revoke his liquor license, according to Shauna Helfert, administrator for the division.

Helfert had six counts of official violations on record for Flanagan’s Central Station. Flanagan appealed the decision, but later agreed to settlement that “they would sell the license prior to October 1,” Helfert said. “Had they not agreed, we would have gone to a hearing.” If Flanagan had chosen to take his case to the appeals hearing, which Helfert described as a kind of “mini-trial,” he would have had the opportunity to make his case for why the license should not be taken away, but would have also continued to risk losing the license entirely – an expensive proposition in the Flathead, where recent “full beverage” liquor licenses have sold for nearly $1 million.

“I don’t know what the outcome would have been at that hearing,” Helfert said, but added, “I don’t know of another establishment that has had this number of violations in the region.”

Flanagan now plans to open a larger capacity music venue in Missoula next year and hopes to continue promoting shows in Whitefish. “I want to stay in this state and do business,” he added. “I love putting on music.”

While Flanagan’s Central Station didn’t turn much of a profit its first two years, “my business is actually doing very well right now,” Flanagan said, explaining that the profit comes from selling drinks, not the cover charged at the door. It would be impossible to do business without a liquor license.

Officials interviewed acknowledged that fighting, drug use, excessive drinking and serving to minors occurs at many bars no matter how heavy the police presence may be, and Flanagan’s was far from being the only one guilty of some of these violations. But most businesses that fail compliance checks, Ferda and Bruyer said, work hard to avoid failing again by improving staff training and making changes to who checks IDs. “I don’t know how hard Jim Flanagan worked to stop the violations,” Ferda said.

Both Flanagan’s Central Station and Coach’s Corner, the bar that previously inhabited the space, had trouble with rowdy patrons throwing things off the balcony, like beer bottles at police officers and ashtrays at car windshields – incidents that did not improve relations with the city. Ferda wondered aloud if temporarily suspending Flanagan’s liquor license and chaining up the doors for a few weeks about a year and a half ago might have underscored the seriousness of the violations. “It was just the totality of everything that was having the police department focus on Flanagan’s,” Ferda said. “We didn’t have it out for Jim Flanagan.”

The last concert booked for Flanagan’s Central Station is The Gourds on Sept. 16. The following weekend, Flanagan said, will be open mic performances by local musicians who have played there over the previous three years. And then the doors – in Whitefish anyway – will close.

Posted: Thursday, Mar 16, 2006 - 04:13:11 pm PST
By RICHARD HANNERS
Whitefish Pilot

Police and other city officials are taking a hard look at a downtown balcony after objects were thrown onto Central Avenue, breaking a car’s windshield.

But the owner of the bar with the balcony says the incident was an “aberration” and claims his staff should be commended for taking quick action to shut down the establishment after a large rowdy group celebrating a birthday party exhibited a “mob mentality” and “took over downtown.”

According to Whitefish Police Department reports, officer Dave Herman was in his patrol car traveling south on Central Avenue just after midnight March 9 when he observed debris on the street below the Flanagan’s Central Station balcony, including a wooden bench and several stand-up ashtrays.

As he exited from his patrol car, Herman said, he observed a Flanagan’s bouncer removing people from the balcony. A female bartender came outside and told Herman that the bar might shut down because of the incident.

Herman said he interviewed the owner of the silver passenger car parked below the balcony with a caved-in windshield. He reported seeing cigarette butts from one of the fallen ashtrays on the car’s hood. Herman told the car’s owner to get an estimate so the responsible party could later pay restitution.

While Herman gathered evidence, officer Doug Blalack went inside Flanagan’s to interview witnesses and arrest a suspect. One male was identified as responsible for initiating a fight, but the bartender declined to file charges, the police reported.

Another witness identified a man as the person who threw the ashtrays off the balcony. Police arrested Michael J. Milutinovic, 23, of Whitefish, and charged him with criminal mischief. Milutinovic denied the charges and was released the next day after posting a $5,000 bond.

About two hours after the first incident, Blalack was on foot patrol on Central Avenue watching bar patrons leaving at bar closing time when he reportedly observed a group of eight to nine “loud” males across the street. One of the males allegedly pushed over a newspaper vending machine in front of Flanagan’s and kicked and stomped on it.

When Blalack tried to apprehend the man, the suspect fled south on Central Avenue with Blalack in pursuit. The suspect stumbled in front of the Remington Bar, and Blalack put him on the ground. At that point, a thrown beer bottle hit the wall above Blalack and shattered, the police report states.

Blalack then called for additional police officers. As he escorted the suspect to a patrol car, Blalack observed a group of males approaching him, and another bottle was thrown in his direction.

At that point, Herman approached in his patrol car with the siren sounding. As Blalack began to put the suspect into the patrol car, the suspect broke away and ran down Central Avenue. Another male, however, suddenly appeared running from across the street, crashing into the suspect in front of the Palace Bar and knocking him down. Blalack then got a hold of the suspect again.

Arrested was a 17-year-old from Martin City who was charged with MIP alcohol, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and use of a fake identification. Police found two driver’s licenses on the youth, who later told police he was in Whitefish as part of a birthday party group.

Jim Flanagan, owner of Flanagan’s Central Station, said last week’s incident was unfortunate, but Wednesday nights are usually quiet. A large group celebrating a birthday party overwhelmed his smaller security force that night, he said, but the birthday group was only in his establishment for 20 minutes before the balcony incident occurred.

“They weren’t drinking in my place,” he said.

Flanagan said a bartender refused to sell a member of the group a bottle of Jagermeister and that started the agitation. He said as soon as the owner of the car with the smashed windshield came inside to report the incident, his staff immediately turned on the lights and shut down the entire bar.

“We had about 80 people inside enjoying themselves, and everyone had to leave early,” he said.

Some city officials are looking at ways to shut down Flanagan’s balcony for good. Police chief Bill Dial said the establishment should consider doing it voluntarily.

“Flanagan’s should consider closing down its balcony,” Dial told the Pilot. “They’re facing tort liability.”

Dial said there has been a past history of people throwing objects from the balcony at people on the street both before and after Flanagan’s Central Station opened for business. He said a tourist was hit in the leg several years ago by a bottle thrown from the balcony.

“Who could reasonably expect that someone would throw a park bench off the balcony?” Flanagan asked. “I have no knowledge of anything being thrown from the balcony in the past, except for the occasional snowball, and our security people shut down the balcony right away when that happens.”

Flanagan said everything on the balcony that could possibly be thrown off has been removed, but he doesn’t want to close down his balcony.

“If they’re going to shut down the balconies, they have to shut down the beer gardens — I don’t see the difference,” he said.

Flanagan said the balcony is used by smokers because his upstairs area is smoke-free. He also moves tables with umbrellas on the balcony in summer time. He said he’s frustrated by the situation and has worked hard to bring top-name music acts to Whitefish.

“It was a complete aberration,” he said. “We’ve had packed houses and never had an incident like this.”