Montana Governor's Mansion To Be Demolished After 60 Years

Montana Wants To Tear Down Its Former Governor's Residence

Perhaps you've heard that Montana wants to get rid of its old governor's residence.

The place has been sitting empty since Governor Gianforte took office, and the state says it needs millions of dollars in work, including a new roof, major mechanical and electrical upgrades, plumbing work, and asbestos removal.

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Could Montana's Former Governor's Residence Have Another Use?

Still, I have to admit I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around bulldozing a 12,000-square-foot house.

The former executive residence at 2 Carson Street has been the governor's home since 1959 and housed 10 Montana governors during that time. Now, the state is moving forward with plans to spend about $1.2 million demolishing it and turning the property into green space.

Maybe that's genuinely the best financial decision. I don't know. But couldn't somebody use the house?

A nonprofit shelter for women. Transitional housing. Housing for families who are having a rough time. Some kind of community resource. Maybe even sell the property and let someone else figure out what to do with it.

the front of governors mansion in helena montana — Google Maps//Canva

Montana Asked Residents What Should Happen To The Former Governor's Residence

Look, I'm not saying the state should spend $5 million of our taxpayers' money fixing up an old house just because it's a house. The problems are real, and there would obviously be a lot of work involved in turning a former governor's residence into something else.

It just seems odd to me to look at a huge house sitting on 1.2 acres and decide the best use for it is to knock it down. Especially when owning a home is becoming harder and harder for a lot of Montanans.

And when you consider that the state actually asked Montanans what we thought, with 147 of 258 survey respondents favoring remodeling the home, maybe there was a better use for the place.

At least I'd have liked to see someone try to find out before we tear it down.

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Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

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