BOZEMAN — If you’ve been around downtown Bozeman recently, you’ve probably noticed a bit of construction, especially on some beloved historic buildings. You might be wondering, “What’s going on?”
Downtown Bozeman has had a bustling Main Street since the late 1800s, and as many folks know, it’s changed quite a bit over the years.
“Seeing the developments on Main Street is one of the most exciting things because they involve the restoration of our historic buildings that we know and love so much,” says Ellie Staley, executive officer of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership.
Although Staley hasn’t been around as long as some of these buildings, she has been with the Downtown Bozeman Partnership for 18 years. As we walked down Main Street, she told me about three major developments happening downtown that involve some of Bozeman’s historic buildings.
Wondering how Bozeman is preserving its history while embracing new developments? Watch our video to find out more about these exciting changes
“The Cooper/Black Building, one of the oldest buildings on Main Street, has preserved the historic brick and beauty of the structure,” Staley says as she shows me this historic treasure.
The Cooper/Black is not just any old building. According to the Gallatin History Museum, it was built in 1872 and is now the oldest surviving structure on Main Street. With this restoration, “the front will remain, but the back is all but gone,” explains Staley.
According to the City of Bozeman archives, the Cooper/Black was originally occupied by a gun manufacturer, a mercantile, a drug store, and a family market. When the renovation is finished, “this will be mixed-use, with retail and hospitality on the bottom and office and residential on the top,” says Staley.
Another major development is the massive empty lot where the old U.S. Bank used to be. It was a two-story building erected in the 1970s that was in pretty rough shape.
“So that building is actually gone. It has been completely torn down and will be rebuilt. It will eventually be called the Scully,” Staley shares.
It is named after Randy Scully, a man involved in the restoration of downtown. Some work you might recall is the new U.S. Bank, restored to its original face from the early 1900s two years ago. Next to the bank, Staley couldn’t help but add that not only are the buildings being restored.
“The sewer lines below this spot were over 120 years old. That makes you think about what they looked like,” Staley says as she shows me a flattened, 120-year-old pipe.
As we finished our downtown restoration tour, we reached the Baltimore, built in 1918. This building was formerly a hotel called “The Range.”
“And so, we’re actually bringing the name of that building back to the Baltimore,” Staley informs me.
The Baltimore, soon to be called “The Range,” is undergoing ground-level renovations, where a new upscale Italian restaurant, Tutti Benne, will move in.
New is something hard to mix with Bozeman’s old. I asked Staley how city planners have been managing this.
“I come from a long line of people and leaders in our community who know this is important,” Staley shares. “Our codes and ordinances really reflect our passion for our downtown. You will see historic preservation happening along Main Street with all downtown development projects.”
