Mall lands deal to bring in Shopko

A Shopko Hometown store will soon occupy a large chunk of the Mountain Mall’s retail space.

Shopko has signed a lease with mall owners Carrington Co., for an approximately 37,000-square-foot space in the center of the mall.

Last month, city council approved using $200,000 in tax-increment funds to assist with a remodel of the mall. Shopko’s lease agreement with the mall was contingent upon the mall getting an exterior facelift.

The mall renovation to accommodate Shopko is estimated at $3.7 million. The facade remodel will include replacing the original block with natural stone and stucco to complement the recently remodeled Sportsman & Ski Haus.

Shopko will employ about 25 to 30 people.

“We’re very excited. This is a big deal for the mall. Shopko is a big business and will be a third anchor for the mall,” said Tom Kraus, the property manager and lease director of the mall. “It will fill a need for Whitefish and we think it will be a very good thing,”

The department store will displace about eight businesses in the mall. Two of the impacted businesses have already or are in the process of moving out.

Whitefish Dance Studio relocated to Windmill Business Park on Highway 2. The Flying Fish Kids’ Gym moved its equipment to the Flathead Gymnastic Academy. Nature Baby Outfitter will relocate to East Second Street in Whitefish at the space previously occupied by the Cigarette Depot across from the middle school.

Feelings were mixed about the arrival of Shopko among business owners and residents.

Jade Carpenter the owner of Nature Baby Outfitter and the Flying Fish Kids’ Gym didn’t think Shopko was going to be an asset to her business.

“I liked the whole community feel of the mall and how they had family events,” she said. “I don’t see how that’s going to happen with Shopko running down the middle of it.”

Carpenter said she no longer felt the mall was a good fit for her business, and that the new space the mall was offering was more expensive than her original lease.

Sarah Wellemeyer, an owner of Taco Del Sol, thinks that Shopko coming to Whitefish will be good for the city and the mall. Taco Del Sol is currently in negotiations to relocate to another space within the mall.

Stu Saye, owner of Montana Olive Oil Inc. and Sensayetional Golf also plans to keep his businesses at the mall.

Club Bed Tanning, Bonsai Brewing Project and Ben Franklin will also be impacted.

A Facebook page “Whitefish Shopko? No thank you” was created in May as a public forum to share opinions on the store coming to the mall.

Michelle Shaffer commented on the page that there are not many affordable options in Whitefish for small business owners to rent.

“Big business takes the heart out of what makes this community thrive,” she commented. “Not to mention a 10 minute drive can get you to Target, Walmart, Home Depot ect.”

Dennis Wright commented that Shopko will bring good jobs to town.

“Bet you anything that Shopko will employ more people with the ability to grant better benefits such as health insurance that mom and pop [stores] couldn’t offer.”