New health clinic and fitness center proposed

A three-way joint venture between North Valley Hospital, The Wave and School District 6 could bring a new medical clinic and fitness facility to Columbia Falls.

Columbia Falls city manager Susan Nicosia provided some background details for the project during the city council’s Dec. 17 meeting.

The project evolved as the three entities recognized overlapping interests — the hospital wanted to expand but its space at the Professional Center on the U.S. 2 strip was limited; The Wave, with about 1,200 Columbia Falls members, wanted a presence here; and the school district wanted a “school-based health clinic” and had available land.

Discussion is in its early stages, but the hospital has indicated it needs about 10,000 square feet, and The Wave needs about 20,000 square feet, Nicosia said.

The Wave conducted a feasibility study for a satellite facility here in 2008, Nicosia said. The Wave doesn’t want to duplicate what it offers at its facility in Whitefish, but some type of therapy pool could be part of the Columbia Falls facility, she said.

The site currently under consideration is school property located between Ruder Elementary School and Columbia Falls Junior High School and would be accessed from Talbott Road, Nicosia said. City zoning would have to be amended for the project, she noted.

Both the hospital and The Wave looked at vacant property on the U.S. 2 strip, including the former Pamida store and land adjacent to the city pool, but the price wasn’t right.

Councilor Dave Petersen asked if the former Glacier Discovery Square building on Nucleus Avenue could be used for the project. The First Best Place nonprofit group gave that site back to Whitefish Credit Union on Oct. 26. Squeezing a 30,000-square-foot building on Nucleus and providing adequate parking, however, could be difficult.

Petersen noted that the proposed clinic and fitness facility will draw traffic and should be located near other commercial buildings. But a higher use for the former Pamida store site would be a hotel, mayor Don Barnhart said.

Nicosia said she’s talked to people at Town Pump, which has built hotels around Montana, about building a hotel in Columbia Falls. Town Pump could conduct a feasibility study for a hotel here, but it would require a partial match by the city for funding.

Nicosia said she will be meeting again with North Valley Hospital, The Wave and School District 6 about the project.