I will fess up. I am the purchaser of the old rollercade building, and am in the process of doing some necessary repairs and upgrades to the building. I will be storing some of my cars in the rear of the building, but I believe the front portion can be re-modeled into rentable space. The Tanning Patch is a current tenant, and there is another 1600 to 2400 square feet that could be made into offices, or some other commercial occupancy. Pretty good parking availability in the area, and the view out the front windows (Riverside Park) will likely not change in the near, or distant, future.
Someone asked the history of the building, and I am a curious about that as many of you. I understand it was built in the 1920's and it has concrete walls, and steel trusses for the barrel shaped roof. So the ceiling span is the full 62' of building width with no support posts. I am told it housed, at one time, the Essex automobile dealership. That Chuck Walters had the Chrysler dealership in the building until after WWII when he sold the Chrysler franchise to Gus Zignego. At that time, I understand, Chuck bought the building across Main Street from the Presbyterian Church, and ran his Walters Repair Shop out of there, later run by Bill Combs, and now Rolling Rubber. I was told the MT Hwy Department operated out of the Rollercade building at one time. And I remember it being the Sweetheart warehouse as well. Of course Dave Thompson operated Miles City Appliance there in more recent memory. I think the building is already showing some improvement, and it will get better from here, even.
My kids enjoyed the Parkway Rollercade, and particularly Cal Schock, who ran it for Tom Pettigrew. I believe Cal left the Rollercade to become a Miles City Policeman, and later an Office with the Montana Highway Patrol. Cal has risen to Sergeant with the MHP, I believe and lives here in Miles City. He was great with kids, and is a fine MHP Officer.
Tom Clarke