NewsGreat Falls News

Actions

City seeking new tenant for Community Recreation Center space

Posted at 5:47 PM, Dec 04, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-04 19:52:18-05

The City of Great Falls is looking for a cafe or restaurant to operate full time in the Community Recreation Center at 801 2nd Avenue North.

The space includes a small dining space a commercial kitchen and a larger attached room that can also be rented.

The current area consists of 710 sq. ft. of customer seating/serving area, 648 sq. ft. kitchen area with walk in cooler, and 1,420 sq. ft. of additional space adjacent to the restaurant.

In the past, the space has been home to businesses like the Burger Bunker.

Deputy Park and Recreation Director Patty Rearden sees the space as an opportunity for business and the center.

“Having a café in there adds another amenity to bring people to the building as well as to service the people in the building,” said Rearden. “It’s really a complement to what already goes on in the building. It does generate revenue for the Community Rec Center, which helps in funding youth programs and things of that sort.”

The city will also consider proposals for alternate use of the space.

Proposal forms can be picked up at Park and Recreation, 1700 River Drive North. Sealed proposals are due by 3 p.m., Friday, January 11, 2019.  Proposals must be mailed or delivered to:

City Clerk
P.O. Box 5021
Room 102, Civic Center
Great Falls, Montana  59403-5021

For additional information, please contact Patty Rearden, Deputy Director at 771-1265 or Erica McNamee, Community Recreation Center Supervisor, 727-6099.

-Reported by Joe Huisinga/MTN News

The Community Recreation Center building was originally built by DeMolay as a memorial to the DeMolays who had died in World War II especially the 15 members from Great Falls.

The building was designed to offer recreational facilities to youth and the cornerstone was laid in August of 1949. In the 1980s, the Center was in decline and by the mid-1990s, the owners put the building on the market.

The City Commission authorized the purchase of the building in 1997 and the Community Recreation Center opened its doors once again. To learn more about the Community Recreation Center, please visit the City of Great Falls’ website.