Architecture report examines options for improving community center

At more than 60 years old, the Bigfork Community Center has seen better days.

The outer fascia is peeling away and core components like the plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems have become outdated. In addition to cosmetic issues, the facility doesn’t meet critical Americans with Disabilities Act standards nor does it provide adequate parking, forcing many visitors to park elsewhere and walk uphill to reach the center.

“What we have in terms of a facility is neither appropriate or adequate,” said community center board president Chris Hagar. “It doesn’t really fit our needs. We aren’t anywhere near ADA compliant.”

But the tide may be turning for the future of this building. In January, Flathead County received a $45,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Montana Department of Commerce to fund an architectural study that would examine options for improving the center.

This month, A&E Architects released a preliminary architecture report, which includes diagrams and detailed cost estimates for six options to improve the building. The Flathead County Commissioners discussed a draft of the report during a Dec. 1 meeting with Shane Jacobs of A&E Architects and county Grant Administrator Whitney Aschenwald. The final document was later released on the county’s website, incorporating feedback from the Dec. 1 discussion.

The least costly option would be to sell the existing property, valued at $286,000 conservatively, and rent a move-in ready facility in a different location. Rent was estimated at $1,200 per month, which would leave the county with a $142,000 surplus after 10 years of renting. However, while this option would save money in the short-term and avoid the hassle of building maintenance, the center wouldn’t walk away with a permanent home.

“If we go with the remodel we would have something to show for our money down the road,” noted commissioner Pam Holmquist.

Commissioner Phil Mitchell advocated working with the Community United Methodist Church for a rental solution that he said could “benefit both parties.”

“The needs for the church and the need for the senior center don’t fight each other. At the end of the day, I could see this as a plus for both parties,” Mitchell said. “I also am struggling with the number of people -- I don’t want to even spend a million or $800,000 for 20 people … I don’t think if you build it they will come. You’ve got a lot of people in Bigfork that come and go seasonally. They’re there to do their thing. They’re not there all winter.”

Apart from off-site rental, the next most affordable option was a $600,000 remodel of the building which would tackle components like updating plumbing and electrical systems, adding insulation, mitigating asbestos and lead paint and making the restroom ADA-compliant. The drawback to this option is that it doesn’t address all of the ADA issues identified in the building, such as the hallway leading to the restroom, nor even begin to touch the problem with the building’s layout. The facility, located at 639 Commerce Street, was originally designed as a house and lacks an open floor plan that would be more suited to a gathering space.

“The caveat is yeah this is an attractive price, but it just updates the existing building and doesn’t improve the functionality of the space for them at all,” Aschenwald said. “You can spend all this money to update things in this building but you’re not getting a more functional space and it’s not addressing the parking shortage.”

The remodel would fall within the county’s estimated budget for the project of approximately $705,000, Holmquist said during the Dec. 1 meeting. Of that total, $255,000 would come from the sale of another county-owned building and potentially would come from $450,000 from a public facilities grant from the Montana Department of Commerce. Now that the architectural study on the center has been completed, the county is eligible to apply for the latter grant.

Three remaining options, plus an alternate to one of those three, focused on off-site development.

For $1,295,508, the county could construct a new facility on county-owned land at the south end of Lake Hills Park with 30 parking spaces or for $1,392,866, they could purchase a different parcel of land and build there, expanding parking further for a total of 36 spots.

Alternatives for demolishing the current building and constructing a new facility on the existing site were the most expensive. For $1,394,559, the county could build a 2,500 square foot facility at the current address, but on the west side of the lot, allowing more space for parking. Designs by A&E Architects show 26 parking spots with four that would be ADA accessible, plus another eight along Commerce Street.

Adding even more parking spaces to this option would come with a hefty $2,276,202 price tag, according to the PAR. This option would provide 32 parking spaces on site and another nine along the street. The increased cost comes from building a new retaining wall on the center’s sloped terrain.

“They definitely came in higher than I anticipated for some of these options, but it really gives us the whole picture,” Aschenwald said of the PAR figures. “That was the whole point of this exercise was to get realistic numbers. Up until this document was created, it’s just our best guess at cost estimates. The glaring issue is the cost — can a funding strategy be put in place? …A lot of different conversations need to be had. At least now we have a start.”

Before any decisions are made, the commissioners are soliciting public feedback on the proposed alternatives for the Bigfork Community Center. The county would like to know which alternative community members would prefer and any other feedback they might have. Comments are due by 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 and can be submitted by emailing PARcomments@flathead.mt.gov.

Members of the public can review the report for themselves and watch a video presentation from Jacobs, which is posted on the county’s website in lieu of a public meeting at www.flathead.mt.gov/commissioner.

“In normal circumstances we would hold a meeting but we don’t feel that it would be the responsible thing to do at this time, especially with this demographic,” she noted.

Aschenwald said hard copies of the PAR will be available at the Bigfork Community Center or by request. g

BREAKOUT

Review the preliminary architecture report for the Bigfork Community Center and watch a video presentation about the project at https://flathead.mt.gov/commissioner/.

Submit a comment about the project by the end of the year to PARcomments@flathead.mt.gov.

Request a hard copy by emailing Whitney at waschenwald@flathead.mt.gov or calling (406) 758-2467. Copies will also be available at the Bigfork Community Center at 639 Commerce Street.