City continuing discussion of turning Missouri Room into court space
City officials will continue their discussion of a proposal to convert the Missouri Room in the Civic Center into Municipal Court space during their July 18 work session.
The court has been in the Civic Center basement for years and according to Judge Steve Bolstad and court staff, the space is cramped, doesn’t allow for the second judge to operate and has increasing water issues.
During the work session, Cushing Terrell will review proposed designs for the renovation of the Missouri Room, which would be funded with federal COVID relief funds.
Historic preservation board opposes use of Missouri Room for court space
Members of the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission have expressed opposition to converting the Missouri Room, which they say is a historic space and needed for community events.
The HPAC sent a letter in June to the City Commission asking them to consider alternatives for court space such as the city-owned property that currently houses the Children’s Museum, the old county jail, the federal post office among others.
During their July 12 meeting, HPAC members again discussed the Missouri Room but did not notify or invite Bolstad to the meeting, despite having questions about court operations.
During the HPAC meeting, Rich Ecke said he’d spoken to County Commissioner Joe Briggs about the old county jail and was told it would need a completely new HVAC system and to be completely rewired.
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He said that Briggs didn’t sound positive about the idea and that parking was an issue in the area.
County Commissioner Rae Grulkowski, the county’s HPAC representative, said, “I don’t think that the commission would be favorable to donating that building.”
The old county jail has been vacant for decades and in 2020, the county received a $12,000 grant from the Great Falls Development Authority for a hazardous materials inspection at the old county jail and that work has been completed.
Several years ago, City Manager Greg Doyon recommended not renewing the Children’s Museum’s lease and using that property for city offices.
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The lease expires this fall, but City Commissioners have taken no action. The museum has not yet secured a new home and Doyon said he will recommend allowing the museum to move to a year to year lease in the meantime.
Doyon told The Electric that he didn’t have an estimate to renovate the museum space but believed it would cost more than the $3.5 million set aside for the proposed Missouri Room renovation.
City staff also considered the use of the courthouse space on the upper floors of the U.S. Post Office downtown.
The city would have to rent the space, which is not an allowable use of ARPA funds.
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Doyon said he toured the post office court space several times, most recently in April.
He said the space is large and could potentially be used with updating and renovation, but Bolstad didn’t think it would be suitable because of the office area and logistics of the two courts on separate floors.
Part of the court space in the post office is currently used for the District Court veterans court program.
HPAC members also suggested that the city purchase the building on the corner of Central Avenue and Park Drive across from the Civic Center.
That building is listed for sale for $495,000 and Doyon said it would need an extensive renovation.
The Cushing Terrell designs to renovate the Missouri Room also include designs to remodel the basement space that the court would vacate into meeting and community event space.
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HPAC members have said in multiple public meetings that Missouri Room gets significant use and suggested using the Convention Center for court.
Owen Grubenhoff, events manager, said during previous commission meetings that the Missouri Room generates $19,000 to $20,000 annually.
He told The Electric in May that the Convention Center has generated about $50,000 in rental revenue this year.
A normal year would be about $75,000, he said, but they haven’t gotten all of their business back from COVID yet.
Doyon said staff considered using the Convention Center, but it would “significantly impact medium to large scale productions using the Mansfield Theater.”
City staff has struggled with space and office moves for years.
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Doyon said that the Great Falls Symphony Association had previously used office space in the current city prosecutors office. The symphony moved and legal staff was able to move into the office, but it’s still cramped, he said.
Prior city attorneys requested use of the Gibson Room and the planning department had requested use of the Missouri Room for office space, neither of which was supported by commissioners.
The finance office was redesigned to make more room for the legal department and the human resources office is being remodeled to address space issues there, Doyon said.
Doyon said he has considered external space options over the last decade, including:
- Railroad Square, a good space but would need a major renovation
- Great Falls Chamber Building, which was too expensive and would likely require renovation
- Hub International Building at 100 Park Drive, which had design and functional issues
- 311 1st Avenue North, which had logistic issues
- 316 1st Avenue South, which is currently occupied
- old Great Falls Tribune building, which was purchased by a church
Doyon said that the city doesn’t have funding to purchase and renovate space; it’s not desirable to move some offices from the Civic Center and that the planning department is the best candidate for an offsite location; and in some cases a property sold before the city was able to purchase it, such as in the case of the Railroad Square space.
