Kalispell Center Mall

Kalispell Center Mall is a shopping mall in Kalispell, Montana, serving the Flathead Valley and surrounding communities. The center opened in 1986 and combines conventional retail with hospitality, financial, food-service, and entertainment uses. Its principal anchors have included JCPenney and Red Lion Hotels, while a former Herberger’s department-store location has subsequently become vacant. The property also includes a casino and a U.S. Bank presence, giving it a broader service mix than a purely apparel-focused shopping center. The mall’s history reflects the changing ownership and tenant structure of regional shopping centers in the United States. Red Lion Hotels Corporation owned the property before selling it in 2013 to WSPGB Mall LLC for a reported $11.6 million. In 2014, Starbucks announced plans to open a location at the mall, adding a national coffee operator to the center’s tenant mix. Herberger’s later undertook a substantial expansion, increasing its space from approximately 40,000 square feet to approximately 80,000 square feet. The enlarged store was marked by a public grand-reopening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 13, 2017. The department store’s expansion was short-lived. On April 18, 2018, Herberger’s closure was announced as its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, entered liquidation and ceased operating. The Kalispell store closed on August 29, 2018, leaving the former department-store space vacant and changing the mall’s anchor profile. This event reflected broader pressure on traditional department stores and the resulting challenges for enclosed shopping centers. In March 2024, Red Lion Hotels Corporation announced that the mall had been sold to a Spokane, Washington-based company for $11.6 million. Public reference material does not identify the purchasing company or provide enough information to state the mall’s current ownership with confidence. Kalispell Center Mall remains an active local retail and services destination, but detailed current tenant, occupancy, ownership, and financial information is not established in the available source material.

Kalispell Center Mall opened in 1986 in Kalispell, Montana, a regional commercial center in the Flathead Valley. From its beginning, the property operated as a conventional enclosed shopping mall while also accommodating hospitality and service uses. Its anchor configuration included JCPenney and Red Lion Hotels, with additional tenants representing retail, banking, food and beverage, and entertainment. A casino and U.S. Bank are identified among the center’s uses. Red Lion Hotels Corporation was an owner of the property before selling it in 2013 to WSPGB Mall LLC. The transaction was reported at $11.6 million. The change in ownership occurred during a period when many regional malls were adapting their tenant mixes and seeking uses beyond traditional department stores. In 2014, Starbucks announced plans to open a shop at the center, adding a recognizable national food-and-beverage brand to the property. The mall experienced a notable expansion in 2017 when Herberger’s increased its store footprint from approximately 40,000 square feet to approximately 80,000 square feet. The enlarged store received a public grand reopening, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13. The investment temporarily strengthened the mall’s department-store offering and represented an effort to expand an established anchor rather than replace it. The Herberger’s store later became a casualty of the collapse of its parent company. On April 18, 2018, it was announced that Herberger’s would close because The Bon-Ton Stores was going out of business. The Kalispell location closed on August 29, 2018. Its closure left a vacant anchor space and altered the mall’s long-term retail composition, illustrating the impact of department-store liquidations on enclosed shopping centers. In March 2024, Red Lion Hotels Corporation announced that Kalispell Center Mall had been sold to a company based in Spokane, Washington, for $11.6 million. The available reference does not identify the buyer or clarify the relationship between the 2013 transaction and the 2024 announcement. Accordingly, the current owner and the precise sequence of ownership changes require verification. The mall is nevertheless described as an active shopping center, with JCPenney, Red Lion Hotels, and various service and entertainment uses continuing to define its public identity.

• 2024

  Sale announced to Spokane-area company

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Red Lion Hotels Corporation announces the sale of the mall to an unidentified company based in Spokane, Washington, for $11.6 million.

• 2018

  Herberger’s closes

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Herberger’s store closes on August 29 following the liquidation of parent company The Bon-Ton Stores.

• 2017

  Herberger’s expansion and reopening

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Herberger’s doubles its reported store area from approximately 40,000 to 80,000 square feet and holds a public reopening ceremony on September 13.

• 2014

  Starbucks plans a mall location

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Starbucks announces plans to open a shop at Kalispell Center Mall.

• 2013

  Sale to WSPGB Mall LLC

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Red Lion Hotels Corporation sells the mall to WSPGB Mall LLC for a reported $11.6 million.

• 1986

  Mall opens in Kalispell

  [1]Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kalispell Center Mall opens as a regional enclosed shopping center in Kalispell, Montana.

A regional enclosed shopping center serving Kalispell and the Flathead Valley through a combination of department-store retail, hospitality, services, food and beverage, and entertainment tenants.

• Department store

  JCPenney

  JCPenney is identified as one of Kalispell Center Mall’s principal anchors. Its department-store format provides a broad range of general merchandise, including apparel, footwear, home-related goods, and seasonal products. The available reference does not provide a detailed current store profile or operating metrics.

• Hospitality

  Red Lion Hotels

  Red Lion Hotels is identified as an anchor and hospitality component associated with Kalispell Center Mall. Its presence gives the property a hotel-related use alongside conventional retail and services. The available material does not establish the current operating structure or whether the hotel remains under Red Lion ownership or management.

• Department store

  Herberger’s

  Herberger’s was a former department-store anchor at Kalispell Center Mall. In 2017, the store expanded from approximately 40,000 square feet to approximately 80,000 square feet and held a public grand reopening. It closed on August 29, 2018, after its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, went out of business.

• Coffeehouse and food service · 2014

  Starbucks

  Starbucks announced plans in 2014 to open a shop at Kalispell Center Mall. The available source confirms the announcement but does not establish the opening date, store format, or current operating status.

• Entertainment and gaming

  Casino

  A casino is listed among the mall’s facilities, adding an entertainment and gaming use to the property’s retail, hospitality, and service mix. The available reference does not specify the operator or brand.

• Banking and financial services

  U.S. Bank

  U.S. Bank is identified as a financial-services presence at Kalispell Center Mall. The available reference does not specify whether the location is a branch, an in-store facility, or another form of service point.

• 2017Herberger’s Grand Reopening

  Kalispell, Montana

  The expanded Herberger’s store was promoted through a public grand-reopening ceremony and ribbon cutting on September 13, following the increase of its reported floor area to approximately 80,000 square feet.

  Outcome. The event marked the completed expansion, although the store later closed in 2018 when The Bon-Ton Stores entered liquidation.

  Source

• 2024

  Sale announced to Spokane-based companyM&A

  Background

  Red Lion Hotels Corporation announced another sale involving Kalispell Center Mall, according to the available reference material.

  Action taken

  The mall was announced as sold to an unidentified Spokane, Washington-based company for $11.6 million.

  Aftermath

  The buyer’s identity and the precise relationship to the reported 2013 ownership transaction remain unclear from the available sources.

  Reported transaction value. $11.6 million (2024)

  Source

• 2017

  Herberger’s store expansionGeneration change

  Background

  Herberger’s expanded its existing anchor location during a period when enclosed malls were seeking to strengthen established department-store tenants.

  Action taken

  The store increased its reported area from approximately 40,000 square feet to approximately 80,000 square feet and held a public reopening.

  Aftermath

  The location closed the following year after The Bon-Ton Stores went out of business.

  Source

• 2013

  Sale of Kalispell Center Mall to WSPGB Mall LLCM&A

  Background

  Red Lion Hotels Corporation owned the mall before transferring it to WSPGB Mall LLC.

  Action taken

  The property was sold for a reported $11.6 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction changed the mall’s ownership while the center continued operating as a regional shopping and services destination.

  Reported transaction value. $11.6 million (2013)

  Source

1. 1Kalispell Center Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kalispell Center Mall official websitekalispellcentermall.com