According to the Whitefish Pilot, 2015 was a banner year for development in Whitefish, Montana. The city issued more than $22.5 million in valuation for commercial permits through November, ranking it as the highest year since 2005. The town is getting two new hotels that account for about $14 million of that total, but skiers can also expect a larger hospital, two new micro-distilleries, and new retail buildings in the pipeline. City officials point to a steady increase in property values, declining unemployment, and better name recognition of Whitefish as factors driving the resurgence of development.