Dollar Tree coming to Whitefish shopping mall

Whitefish’s Mountain Mall has secured another anchor tenant for the remodeled shopping center.

Dollar Tree is planning to open in a space currently under construction on the south end of the mall. The discount store’s expected opening date is early 2016, according to Mountain Mall manager Tom Kraus.

Headquartered in Chesapeake, Va., the Dollar Tree chain has thousands of locations across the U.S. and in Canada, including a store in Kalispell. The store stocks a variety of items such as housewares, dinnerware, cleaning supplies, snacks, health and beauty products, toys, party supplies and seasonal décor. Everything is priced at $1 or less.

Dollar Tree joins Shopko Hometown department store, Sportsman Ski Haus sporting goods store and Super 1 Foods grocery store as anchor tenants in the shopping center that is undergoing a $3.7 million makeover.

“We’re very excited and [Dollar Tree] is excited to be in Whitefish,” Kraus told the Pilot.

“This is great bringing in these new tenants. It’s allowed a whole facade update of the mall.”

 Dollar Tree will occupy a space previously set up for a restaurant, most recently used by Cafe Max.

Kraus said the mall owners at Carrington Company decided to remodel the house-like exterior of the addition to match the rest of the shopping center.

“To have the restaurant facade was great for when a restaurant was there,” Kraus said. “But now we have a different user and that look didn’t work. It gave us the opportunity to remodel the facade to compliment the remainder of the mall exterior. We’re really happy with it.”

Construction work on the remodel of the mall began in February to make way for Shopko. Whitefish City Council last year approved using $200,000 in tax-increment funds to assist with the mall facelift.

The new Shopko occupies about 37,500 square feet and opens on Sunday.

Kraus said the mall is starting to fill out the retail spaces inside the shopping center, as well.

“It’s a great opportunity for the right people to come into the mall with the two new anchor stores and the new look,” Kraus said. “We’re looking for the right people to fill those spaces.”