College completes 109-acre land swap

The Daily Inter Lake

Jane Karas, president of Flathead Valley Community College, told the Board of Trustees on Monday that she had completed a land swap that enlarged the campus by 109 acres.

Phil Harris of Signature Theaters traded 109 acres to the east of the college, plus $300,000, for 25 acres of the college's commercial land fronting U.S. 93, Karas said.

The deal also included a payment of $250,000 for granting easements to Harris for a retail center project planned for the land.

"I think it's a wonderful thing for the community and the college," Karas said.

The deal brought into college ownership land from West Reserve Drive along the Stillwater River to Grand View Drive.

It borders the eastern edge of the campus.

Karas said the college would plan tours of the new land during better weather.

College officials will incorporate the 109 acres into its master plan for campus development.