New office building going up on Fifth Avenue

A new office building planned for Fifth Avenue will provide office space to two commercial renters.

Several potential tenants have expressed interest in renting space in the one-level, 4,000-square-foot office building planned for the corner of Fifth Avenue and Second Street, said Terry Schend, a co-owner of the property.

The property is also owned by Schend's wife, Vicke Schend, and Dave Rhines and his wife, Debi Rhines, Dave Rhines said.

Debi Rhines, an accounting clerk at the Triangle Telephone and Hill County Electric cooperatives, is Terry Schend's daughter.

Terry Schend said the partnership bought the property about a year ago. The existing three houses and one apartment building were uninhabitable, he said, so they were torn down this summer.

"The whole intention was to clean up the area," Dave Rhines said. "They were dumps. It was an eyesore for the city."

Schend said he wants to have the foundation and parking area done before winter, and that he hopes the whole building will be finished over the winter.

Rent for the two offices has not yet been determined, Schend said.

Terry Schend works at Schine Electric and on Tuesday won a seat on the Havre City Council. Vicke Schend is the office manager at the Robins Administration Building.

Dave Rhines owns Schine Electric and Bear Paw Technologies in Havre. He said the development of the property has nothing to do with his businesses.