Business Bites: New Mexican restaurant opening; Great Falls Clinic downsizing; tourism denies more funding for Expo Park study; downtown leadership changes; NeighborWorks Great Falls expands to Havre
Updated 9:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
Mi Rancho
The city approved a safety inspection certificate for Mi Rancho, a Mexican restaurant, in the former Fiesta En Jalisco space in front of Holiday Village Mall.
The restaurant hasn’t yet said when it will open.
A&K Diner
The A&K Diner will open Sept. 7 at 705 Central Ave. W., the former Lippi’s Kitchen location.
The new diner is run by Julie of the former Missouri River Diner, which has closed it’s existing location on River Drive.
A&K Diner’s hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. everyday except Tuesdays when they’re open 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Great Falls Clinic downsizing
The Great Falls Clinic is downsizing its workforce in several departments.
Effective Oct. 15, the Great Falls Clinic will outsource a portion of business office services to Coronis Health, eliminating 34 position, which will directly impact 28 employees, according to the Clinic.
The other positions are currently vacant, according to the Clinic, and the current employees have been offered alternative positions at the Clinic or with the new vendor or other vendors.
They’ll receive a severance package based on years of service, according to the Clinic.
“Healthcare billing has become increasingly complex in recent years, requiring experienced healthcare workers that are even more difficult to recruit in today’s labor shortages. This new partnership will improve billing services across our clinics and hospital departments to address billing efficacy, coding, prior authorization, timeliness, and an overall streamlined service,” according to Clinic release.
The Clinic will maintain several positions onsite locally to meet with patients and answer questions and the online bill-pay will still be available, according to the Clinic.
The Clinic has about 100 open positions and is still working to fill them and continuing construction on the hospital expansion.
Expo Park improvements
The Tourism Business Improvement District board considered a $60,000 market viability and cost estimate update study for the “Future of Montana Expo Park” plan.
The board denied spending additional funds on the project.
Tourism board considering options for Expo Park improvement project [2021]
Rebecca Engum, Great Falls Montana Tourism’s director, told County Commissioners this week that the board action ends her agency’s “leadership on the Future of Montana ExpoPark plan. Great Falls Montana Tourism will consider supporting future efforts that increase the competitiveness of Great Falls in the National landscape for groups and events. At this time however, Great Falls Montana Tourism is shelving the insightful work on what was possible at Montana ExpoPark.”
Downtown leadership changes
The Downtown Office includes the Business Improvement District, Downtown Great Falls Association and the Great Falls Development Authority.
The agency focuses on the revitalization of downtown and Great Falls is an accredited community in the National Main Street Program. The program’s pillars are design, promotion, organization and economic vitality. Each of the agencies in the downtown office have their own board and mission to contribute in those areas.
Commission approves downtown group funding request for operations, murals
Kellie Pierce has been the director of operations for the Downtown Great Falls Association for the last 7.5 years and as of Sept. 1, became the executive director of both the downtown association and the Business Improvement District.
Joan Redeen previously served as the community director for the BID and will now be the coordinator of operations for the agency. She’ll work part time and handle administrative duties and grant writing.
The downtown association recently added a new position, the events and marketing coordinator, and hired Celeste Constancio in that role.
Christian Leinhauser is the downtown business development officer with GFDA. That position was created in 2020 and Leinhauser was hired in that role.
NeighborWorks Great Falls
NeighborWorks Great Falls has extended services up to Havre and opened a new office there in the Human Resources Development Council building.
The Havre location offers counseling services, foreclosure prevention, pre-purchase counseling, financial fitness and rental counseling.
