Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
The Heritage Center is officially out of the city's hands. Havre public works director Dave Peterson told the Havre City Council on Monday night that the deal on the historic building was closed on April 12.
Todd Hanson and Erica McKeon-Hanson purchased the building from the city for $40,001. They plan to spend $200,000 to rehabilitate the former U.S. post office and federal courthouse and turn it into a home for an art gallery, restaurant and brew pub, retail store and office space. The couple wants to reroof the building, add energy-efficient storm windows and upgrade the heating system.
The city used $89,600 in funding from the Community Transportation Enhancement Program to purchase the historic building in 1996. The building was leased by the Clack Foundation until July 1, when the group said it could no longer afford to operate it. Money from the sale will return to CTEP.
The city accepted bids to purchase the building four times before it finally found an offer it would accept.
Peterson said the building has cost the city $15,411 since it took over operation in July. Rent from the building's tenants brought in $9,684, he said, adding that there is still one month's worth of bills to pay. The power bill for the structure varied from about $500 in the summer to nearly $5,100 in the winter, Peterson said.
Havre Mayor Bob Rice said he plans to travel to Helena to ask Montana Department of Transportation officials for a portion of the CTEP funds from the building's sale to cover the city's expenses.
