A historic community recreation hub in Great Falls is officially on the market, as the city plans to sell its former recreation center at 801 Second Avenue North, which has served residents for decades.
The property, commonly known as "the old rec center," was previously the major facility for the city's Parks and Recreation Department. However, with the opening last year of the Aim High Big Sky Aquatic & Recreation Center at Lions Park, the city believes that managing two large buildings is no longer essential.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video:
"The old rec center used to be our community rec center for Park and Recreation," explained Jessica Compton, Deputy and Interim Director of Parks and Recreation. "Once we built the aquatic and rec center and the newer facilities, we didn’t need to have this need for two buildings.”
The city has established a minimum offer of $800,000, with all bids due by 10 a.m. on November 19.
The facility remains operational, offering a long-running childcare service that serves 60 children during the school year and accommodates up to 150 children in the summer. The program also rents out some of the space to the community.
"We would really love to be able to continue renting the building," said Laurie O'Leary, director of the daycare program. "If someone else chooses to buy the building, or if the city chooses to give the bid to someone else, we would love to continue renting the building."
The building offers a variety of services, including a gymnasium, sauna, dance studio, exercise center, stage, and even a former café, which has enabled the program to hold regular events. Monthly teen and tween nights attract roughly 100 individuals, while larger community events can draw up to 500 people.
When asked why the transaction is taking place now, Compton explains that the facility's size and uniqueness make it difficult to evaluate its worth.
"Because it's so unique to Great Falls and the state of Montana, our appraiser really had to search to find the right information to be able to give a proper cost analysis and what they think a building like this would sell for," she told me.
The assessment process has been ongoing for about two years, and municipal officials believe the sale is the next step in adapting the historic property while preserving community services whenever possible.
