The first phase of a big apartment community on the south end of Whitefish is nearly done, and a dozen of its units will be set aside for local workers.
Alpine 93/40, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and Montana Highway 40, is expected to see move-ins at its first building in early to mid-November, Housing Whitefish Executive Director Daniel Sidder told the Flathead Beacon. Twelve income-restricted apartments will become available when the first phase is finished.
The Whitefish City Council approved the development in November 2023. Once fully built, it will have 210 homes in two phases, including 21 dedicated workforce rental units. The rest will rent at market rates.
The workforce units will be spread across six buildings, in a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments of about 950 square feet. The developer's plans also include about 15,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, a workout facility, a playground, a dog park, a shared-use path and an improved crosswalk at Highway 40.
What the rents look like
The 12 first-phase workforce units include four one-bedroom, one-bath apartments expected to rent for about $1,330 a month and eight two-bedroom, one-bath apartments at about $1,600 a month. Both prices include utilities.
Target incomes run from about $40,000 to $58,000 for a one-person household, $45,000 to $65,000 for two people, $50,000 to $73,000 for three and $55,000 to $82,000 for four, according to Sidder.
The units come through the City of Whitefish's Legacy Homes Program, a voluntary, incentive-based inclusionary zoning program. Developers set aside 10% of a project's units for moderate-income households in exchange for incentives. When all 21 units at Alpine 93/40 are finished, the program is expected to reach 40 deed-restricted rental units.
"It is exciting to see these new affordable units hit the market with no public subsidy dollars," Sidder said. "The program is a win-win; the developer was allowed to build more units and have less parking than the zoning allowed, and the city receives permanently affordable rental units."
A developer's bet on local workers
"We know how difficult it can be for people who work in the Whitefish area to find a home here," Alberto Valner, the owner and developer of Alpine 93/40, told the Beacon. "Participating in the Legacy Homes Program allowed us to include long-term workforce housing within a community designed for a range of residents. We're proud that Alpine 93/40 will add both new rental options and homes that remain affordable over time."
Housing Whitefish will handle income screening and keep the waitlist, while the Whitefish Housing Authority will continue to oversee deed restrictions and compliance. Rental applications were expected to open in early to mid-October, and households interested in the workforce units can fill out a pre-eligibility form on the Housing Whitefish website now. "We are encouraging people to complete the pre-eligibility form as soon as they can so that when the units are available, they have already been income qualified," Sidder said. Sidder noted that the property manager may have its own screening criteria, such as credit and background checks.
On the construction side, Swank Enterprises, a Montana general contractor, lists Alpine 93/40 among the multifamily and hotel projects on its website.
With phase one wrapping up this fall, phase two will carry the project to its full 210 homes, including the rest of the 21 workforce units. Because those units are spread across six buildings, more income-restricted apartments should come online as later buildings are finished, giving local workers more chances to get on the list.
Why it matters for Contractors
Alpine 93/40 shows how an incentive-based program can get workforce housing built in an expensive resort town without public money. The developer got extra density and less required parking, and the city got permanently affordable units. If more Flathead Valley projects follow that model, contractors could see more mixed-income, mixed-use jobs that combine apartments with ground-floor commercial space. With a second phase still to come, framers, drywall and finish crews, plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, concrete and site crews, and commercial tenant-improvement contractors for that 15,000 square feet of retail space should all have reasons to keep an eye on the corner of 93 and 40. For builders weighing their own Whitefish projects, the Legacy Homes trade-off of density and parking relief for deed-restricted units is worth understanding.