Here’s a look at some of the changes happening in Great Falls, including new businesses, construction in progress, and recent closures.
Central Avenue Meats:
A Geraldine native plans to bring a craft butcher shop to 420 Central Avenue. The shop is planning to include: dry-aged meat, cut-to-order products, unique sausage/bacon flavors, knife sharpening, butchering classes and ethically-raised products.
They plan to start construction in March/April and be open for this year’s Christmas Stroll. Two other businesses are also planning on going into the building and will be announced in the future.
The Block:
The Block, a new sandwich restaurant and bar adjacent to Enbar, is set to open in approximately three-to-four weeks. The Block will offer Blue Truck Bread exclusively as their bread provider for their sandwiches.
410 Central Building:
Owner Jason Madill purchased the building in 2017 and has been working on restoring since. A new coffee shop and restaurant is planned for the second floor and will offer a balcony for outside seating.
Great Falls College MSU Dental Hygiene Expansion:
Great Falls College MSU’s Dental Hygiene program is expanding. They are currently the only college in Montana that offers a Dental Hygiene program and 35 prospective students applied for the fall of 2018. Due to constrained space, they only accepted 18. They are proposing a 10,000 square foot dental facility dedicated to lab and clinic space.
Benefis Northwest:
A new Benefis walk-in location will move into the old Party America building. It will offer two pediatricians and five family practices.
Malstrom Air Force Base:
Malmstrom Air Force Base will introduce a new Helicopter Beddown Site Plan that has gone out for bid. They are expecting an award date this April. The estimated completion would be summer of 2021. They are also currently designing a new weapons generation compound.
A new QSR (quick serve restaurant) is in the works. They submitted plans for the building permit and hope to get started on it soon. The Portage building has open office space and the GFDA recently moved in.
Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company:
Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company recently signed a deal to start distributing their beer in Wyoming. They plan on the next state to be Idaho and want to continue to branch out to other states.
Montana Federal Credit Union:
The credit union has been out of space for employees for the past three years. They are expanding as well as remodeling their current building. They are also working on installing ITM’s (Interactive Teller Machines) this summer, which is similar to an ATM, but with face-to-face interaction with a bank teller.
Great Falls High School is currently constructing a 67,000 square foot addition. Longfellow Elementary School is no longer in use as students are now attending the old Roosevelt Elementary school. Longfellow is scheduled for demolition soon and the replacement school is set for August 2020.
North 40 Outfitters:
North 40 Outfitters will soon occupy the old Kmart and Big Bear buildings. They are not closing their 10th Avenue location. When completed, both buildings will have similar merchandise items for sale. The new location will employ 80-100 people.
NeighborWorks Great Falls:
NeighborWorks is developing 83 lots near Talus Apartments and their new Rockcress Commons apartments called Meriwether Crossing. Rockcress apartments are set to open in fall of 2019.
Great Falls International Airport:
The Great Hangar of the Falls will open in 2019 and is set to attract high-end aviation. Last year’s Chicago flights grew 186 percent. They also added a third daily Denver flight. A new fueling station and restaurant next to the airport will be constructed.
Alluvion:
The Community Health Care Center recently split from Cascade County and is rebranding as Alluvion Health. The company is currently in the process of purchasing the Rocky Mountain Building. They plan to begin construction on the Rocky Mountain Building in 2019 and will eventually have about 200 employees in the building.
Opportunity Bank:
Opportunity Bank has moved into its new home on River Drive. They will also operate in the former Wells Fargo building located downtown.
Eli’s Soup & Subs:
Eli’s Soup & Subs has closed. 
The restaurant opened last year at 1701 3rd Street NW. The building was home to The Feedlot for many years, but it closed in 2017.
Fetch Pet Boutique:
Fetch has opened its doors at 1408 3rd Street NW in between Albertons and the former Party America building. The store offers pet grooming, a self-service dog wash station, day care, a training center, and an 18-bed luxury boarding facility.
University of Providence University Center:
The $15-16 million project is set to open for students in the fall of 2019. The University Center will house a new classroom, lecture hall, collaboration rooms, student services, and administration offices. The building will also hold the Trinitas Art Gallery and multipurpose meeting space.
