Spring is in the air, and Miles City is poised at the beginning of a new era in economic development. At the same time, Phase I, or the "Due Diligence phase", of the Miles City Depot Acquisition and Restoration Project nears conclusion, and as Exalted Buckaroo says, the city council, county commissioners and folks of the community will be presented with some decisions on the direction the project takes from here.
In 2009, the mayor negotiated a Stay of Demolition with BNSF to delay the destruction of the building and the MCDARP task force to partner with the City and BNSF to explore alternatives to demolition of the depot under City Resolution 3285. The County Commissioners joined the effort with County Resolution 2010-18. Not long after, the Board of the Miles City Area Economic Development Council also pledged their support, along with many other business and service groups and individuals in the community. Senators Baucus, Tester, and Representative Rehberg along with other local and state representatives and agencies have also supported our efforts with encouragement and guidance.
Negotiations with BNSF, as you might expect, have been complex, time consuming and often, extremely delicate; and while it might appear otherwise to some in the community, ongoing. When the MCDARP team becomes impatient or discouraged, we remind ourselves of the twenty some years, and many setbacks, it took to bring the 1st Avenue project in Billings to fruition and...We just get back to work.
Phase I has been largely concerned with determining the structural integrity and environmental safety of the building and grounds, while forming strategies to protect the municipality from financial liability and risk. Our goal has been to demonstrate the viability of the Miles City Depot and surrounding area as a platform for local economic development through restoration and historic preservation. In support of that goal, the MCDARP team has also worked to explore the financial aspects of making restoration of the depot a reality, in the form of cost assessments, funding opportunities and tax incentives. We have written successful grants, and have been extremely thankful for local donations in funding environmental and engineering studies and even honored with an award by the State Historic Preservation Office.
We want to thank all of the local contractors who have donated their in-kind services to MCDARP, working to inform the team and public of safety issues, evaluating the building and providing estimates for the cost of stabilizing the building. Their cheerful participation has been invaluable. We would also like to thank Operation Life Saver, Holy Rosary Hospital, East Main Animal Clinic and the many other organizations and individuals that have given their time, supplies and professional advice in support of MCDARP. We have been blessed by, and are thankful for the local concern and helping hands that came to the rescue of the feral cats living on the premises.
Most of all we want to thank all of the great people in the community that have given us encouraging words, asked thoughtful questions and provided helpful suggestions. We have been honored to hear from many wonderful people that have shared their stories and memories of the depot, the many touching stories that make that have given the depot a home in the heart of this community, and will be preserved as part of this project.
Special thanks go out to the students in Dee Sutter's advanced art class that competed in the Spring of 2010 to design a logo for MCDARP, displayed at the top of this post. The winner, Mimi Lunde, working from the business case we presented to the class, captured the elegance of the building, beautifully conveying the purpose of the project goals.
Over the next few weeks MCDARP will be reporting to the governing bodies of the project. As we do so, our report to the City Council, the County Commissioners and the Board of MCAEDC will also shared on the Miles City Depot Acquisition and Restoration facebook page. If you haven't yet - join us there!
We would like to invite you to join the ongoing discussion as the City, County and MCAEDC work to evaluate the options and make decisions necessary to begin the next Phase of MCDARP. We look forward to continuing this joint effort.
[This message has been edited by Connie Muggli (2/15/2012)]
[This message has been edited by Connie Muggli (2/15/2012)]
[This message has been edited by Connie Muggli (2/15/2012)]