Restoration of the historical
Sears Building
A special publication of
The
MONTANA STANDARD
F EBRUARY 2011
SEARS BUILDING A challenging project BY TIM TRAINOR of The Montana Standard
W
hen Bill Markovich first signed on to the Sears Building project, he knew renovating the century-old building would be a challenge. It had been vacant for as long as he could remember, and much of that time it was covered by a leaky roof. Structurally, it had not been updated since it was first built and the extensive water damage had taken its toll. For instance, some contactors who were scared of heights refused to climb the stairs for fear of falling through holes in the floor. It was a daunting endeavor, but Markovich knew what revitalizing the Sears Building would mean for Uptown Butte. And he wanted to be a part of it. The financing finally fell into place late in 2008. Developer Nick Kujawa cobbled together partners including Glacier Bank, the Montana Community Development Corporation, Butte-Silver Bow Urban Revitalization Agency and other tax credit programs. Markovich’s crews got right to work, starting from the basement, where they quickly realized there was more work to be done than they first thought. His crews jack-hammered 40 tons of granite out from underneath the building, and it took two weeks and four blasts of dynamite to create the five-foot-deep
See SEARS, Page 4
WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD
MARKOVICH CONSTRUCTION employees install large windows into the historic storefront of the new Hennessy Market on Granite Street. The building originally housed the Hennessy Mercantile Co., a grocery, in the early 1900s.
CONGRATULATIONS
400 E Front St. • 723-4368
on your new building and THANK YOU for your business!
For All The Extras You Need For Your Projects Congratulates The Sears Building Renovation Project And Thanks You For Choosing To Work With Us.
Thank You
for your
110 Green Acres, Butte MT
2
406.494.4730
nue 739 Utah Ave 01 Butte, MT 598719 (406) 723-6
Hennessy Market 2011
businestison&s congratula
on your new
building!
We Are PROUD To Be The GENERAL CONTRACTOR For The Renovation Of The HISTORIC SEARS BUILDING! Always Helping To Build A Better Butte!
2827 Lexington Ave. • 494-3901
Butte's only certified LEED project, A sustainable building by Markovich Construction.
Sears ... Continued from Page 2 elevator pit. “That was probably the single most challenging moment,” said Markovich. “What should have been a small task took two weeks.” After clearing out and stabilizing the basement, they moved up one floor at a time, and the work took on the normal construction routine, from framing to finishing. But they wanted the building to retain its historic flair, so a lot of the old materials were reused and that, among other things, continued to make it a unique project. “There were a lot of anomalies,” Markovich said. “Not everything was true and plum.” In fact, the building is 10 inches wider at the back than the front, and the storefront windows had differences in height of more than three inches. “A lot went into those windows,” he said. “Each one was custom-made to make up for the difference in size. The storefront was an evolving design.” The sheer size of the building created some headaches. Not many seven-story buildings exist in Montana, so the elevator, which runs from the basement to the top floor, became the tallest he has ever installed. Just lifting the materials up to the right floor became a chore, and getting to the job site was hard work. “You ended up in pretty good shape, taking seven flights of stairs an infinite number of times,” said Markovich. At the height of construction, more than 60 people were at the job site, including carpenters, plumbers, electricians and laborers. Almost all were from Southwest Montana. “These guys put their heart and soul into this project,” he said. “It was the quality of the workmen and craftsmen that made this building.” But the community in general helped to move things along. The project at times
4
WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD
MARKOVICH CONSTRUCTION CREWS jack-hammered 40 tons of granite from underneath the Sears Building, and it took two weeks and four blasts of dynamite to create the five-foot-deep elevator pit.
tied up traffic and parking on Granite Street and cluttered a back alley used by other businesses. Still, they felt the Uptown pull together in support of the project. “We had the rule of the street for eight months,” said Markovich. “Everyone was real accommodating in the neighborhood, just as gracious as could be.” Now that the work is done, Markovich is proud of the finished product. The lofts
See SEARS 2, Page 5
CONGRATULATIONS
Thank you for your business!
ON A JOB WELL DONE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS FREE ESTIMATES
Congratulations on your new building!
Chris Costello Owner 498-6417
Custom Colors • Rain Gutter Repair Rain Gutter Cleaning • Rain Gutter Removal
730 S. Arizona • 723-3258
CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations & Best on your new building! Wishes For Great Success Thank You For Your Business Thank You For Working With Us BUCK LAKE CONSTRUCTION 406-531-0122 Specializing in interior finish work • Member of Local 112 Hennessy Market 2011
206 W Granite • 782-4057 www.Empireofficesuppliesonline.com
WALTER HINICK PHOTOS / THE MONTANA STANDARD
Sears 2 ... Continued from Page 4 are about half-full and business at the grocery is going better than expected. He thinks the building, more than 100 years old, has more than 100 years ahead of it. And who knows, it may inspire similar construction projects in the neighborhood. “The Sears Building has brought confidence to the Uptown,” he said. “You look
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ay nod T h a n k y o u f o r with us for ur Electrical Needs g n i k r o w
RETIRED NURSE NIKKI FOLEY, above left, and Mining City Management agent Teresa Swartz look at a floor plan of her third floor apartment in the Sears Building. AT LEFT, THE SEARS BUILDING on East Granite Street is pictured as remodeling goes into full gear.
down that street at night, that block on Granite Street has taken on a new life.” — Tim Trainor may be reached via e-mail at tim.trainor@lee.net or call 496-5519.
Congratulations! Thank You For Choosing Us, We Appreciate Your Business
Embroideryy Plus Embroider 2324 Harrison 782-1806
BOB BO OB FIVEY
Thank You For Choosing To Work With Us And Congratulations On Your New Market.
DOWL HKM
Distributing Craft Beer & Wine Montana’s Exclusive Riedel Glassware Distributor
WWW.DOWLHKM.COM
Congratulations and Welcome to the Neighborhood! PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN Hennessy Market 2011
2710 Broadwater Ave Helena, MT, 59602 406-442-3980 www.georgedistributing.com 5
REVITALIZING THE UPTOWN Hennessy Market, Sears Building draw people, business up the Hill BY TIM TRAINOR of The Montana Standard
R
evitalization of Uptown Butte always seemed to miss an important element: the chatter of friendly voices, the scatter of feet upon pavement. In short, it was missing people. The population of Uptown, and Butte in general, had been in relative decline from the 1920s through the early 2000s, and that loss of customers carried with it a significant loss in business. Revitalizing the old commercial district — warehouses, large office buildings and retail storefronts — was rarely feasible because the possibility for profit was slim and the cost of refurbishing large. But recent investment into Uptown has been directed toward residential projects in an attempt to once again make one of the largest historic districts in the country self-sufficient and prosperous. “Residential and commercial are inexorably linked,” said Nick Kujawa, the developer spearheading a multimillion-dollar renovation of the 80,000-sq.-ft. WALTER HINCIK / THE MONTANA STANDARD See UPTOWN, Page 7 MIKE MICHALSKY, Hennessy Market store manager, is pictured in the store.
to the new
Sears Building Project & Hennessy Market
Congratulations on your new building! Thank you for your business!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your business and wish you Good Luck!
Serving Southwestern Montana 28 Dewey Blvd., Butte Butte - 494-4333 • Dillon - 925-1728 Three Forks • 1-800-823-4931
6
Ready Mixed Concrete Concrete Pumping Service Washed Sand & Gravel Sack Cement – Lime – Coal Full Line of Finishing Tools
Pioneer Concrete & Fuel, Inc. 825 Maryland Ave. • 723-5435 Hennessy Market 2011
Uptown ... Continued from Page 6 Sears Building at 32 E. Granite St. in Uptown. “You have to have both.” His building has both, with residential properties on the upper floors, commercial space at street level and a nonprofit museum set to operate out of the basement. “It’s a gigantic step forward,” Karen Byrnes, Community Development and Urban Revitalization Agency director for Butte-Silver Bow, said of the project. The crux of the new Sears Building is the 34 rental apartments on the building’s upper floors, which include penthouses that look over the city, to small one-bedroom flats. More than half of the apartments are already inhabited, only a few weeks after they became available Dec. 1. With the Leonard Hotel in the midst of a $2 million remodel, it will soon house 40 additional apartments. That could put 100 more people living within two blocks of each other, and it opened a niche for an Uptown grocery store, something that the area has been without for more than a decade. So Kujawa decided the first floor of the Sears Building would become the Hennessy Market, a 20,000-product grocery that includes organic and gluten-free products as well as traditional discount and national brands. The Sears Building originally housed a grocery back in the early 1900s, and it’s one of those businesses that a neighborhood just can’t do without. “I don’t know how many times these last six years I’ve heard people say that we need a grocery Uptown,” Byrnes said. “It’s a huge asset.” George Everett, director of MainStreet Uptown Butte, a nonprofit that promotes the Uptown area, said rehabilitation of the Sears Building not only spruced up an old building, but also brought development and people to Uptown. “It shows me that people are starting to reinhabit the hill,” Everett said.
ENGINEERS
|
SURVEYORS
|
PLANNERS
|
PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLD MUSEUM OF MINING
A HISTORIC PHOTO of the store as it existed in the early 1900s as part of the Hennessy Mercantile Co., which operated a grocery store on the first floor.
SCIENTISTS
Congratulations ON THE RESTORATION OF THE SEARS BUILDING AND THE NEW
Morrison-M Maie erle, Inc. is proud to play a role in the restoration of the Sears Building Project.
HENNESSY MARKET FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT mpson Tho
Distributing Inc.
www.m-m.net MONTANA
|
Helena, Billings, Bozeman Great Falls, Kalispell, Missoula
ARIZONA
Phoenix
|
UTAH
Salt Lake City
|
WYOMING Gillette
Hennessy Market 2011
Butte Montana 7
SEARS, HENNESSY MARKET GET VIP VISITORS
GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER, above, visits with Mike Michalsky, Hennessy Market store manager, in the new market in this courtesy photo. AT LEFT: U.S. SEN. JON TESTER, D-Mont., from left, developer Nick Kujawa and contractor Bill Markovich talk in November at the Sears Building, where the Hennessy Market is now open.
Congratulations We appreciate your business!
Congratulations on the Sears Building Restoration and the Hennessy Market! Thank you for your business!
Pella Windows & Doors Inc.
BUTTE, MT 8
(406) 782-4707 Hennessy Market 2011
101 W. Oak St. Suite 108 Bozeman, MT 1-800-292-3240
REBUILDING
Development of Distinction The Sears Building received a national “Development of Distinction” award for its innovative financing and historic restoration of a community asset. The award, given by the nationally certified accounting and consulting firm Novogradac Community Development Foundation, noted the community benefits that come from a linchpin project. The apartments will provide customers for other Uptown businesses, while the grocery store will benefit Uptown residents and workers. The project has already employed more than 80 construction workers since work began in December 2009, and is projected to create more than 45 permanent jobs over the next 10 years. Owner Nick Kujawa said it is nice to receive recognition for the unique financing approach to the project, which included both Historic Preservation and New Market tax credits secured through the Montana Community Development Corp.
Congratulations On Your Renovation And New Market
HARRINGTON PEPSI-COLA
WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD
NICK KUJAWA shows a photograph of the fourth floor of the Sears Building — now comprised of loft apartments — the way it was when he started the building remodel three years ago.
1740 HOLMES AVE • 494-3200
BMC Congratulates Markovich Construction on the Sears Building Restoration Project
CONGRATULATIONS!
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS AND THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN BUTTE’S GROWTH & FUTURE
Proudly Supplying Commercial and Residental Doors and Hardware to This Historic Project
• Final Paperwork • Title Searches • Loan Closing • Title Insurance
Architectural Wood Doors • Interior Hollow Core Doors Steelcraft Hollow Metal Doors & Frames • Door Hardware
MISSOULA 7320 Expressway • 406-728-4750 • www.BuildWithBMC.com
RACT & TIT ST LE
MON “B est
lts Se r su vice, Best Re
Hennessy Market 2011
”
AB
AN Y MP CO
Millwork & Windows Showroom Design Center Customized Framing Lumber Packages Trusses and Wall Panels Decks and Outdoor Living Spaces
TA NA
Your Hometown Professionals
Montana Abstract & Title Company 2961 Nevada Butte, Mt 59701(406)-533-0433
Serving Silver Bow County Since 190 2 9
OLD TO NEW
DOUBLESTUDDED walls replaced some of the old beams to improve the building’s structure.
Congratulations On Your Beautiful New Market & Construction
PROUD TO BE SERVING SOUTH WEST MONTANA HERE’S AN EXAMPLE of a finished apartment in the upper floors of the Sears building. The original hardwood floors were harvested and were reinstalled in the remodeled building.
520 Cobban, Butte 406-723-3984
Congratulations On Your New Building & Market
Mark Rule and Co.
270 E. Park Street, Ste #1 (406) 723-3266
10
Thank You For Your Business!
Congratulations on your new building!
1880 Harrison Ave. • Butte • 497-7000 3701 Harrison, Tamarack Sq. • Butte • 494-3900 307 E. Park Ave., Anaconda • 563-5203
Hennessy Market 2011
Member FDIC
www.glacierbank.com
Sears project brings Butte boy home BY TIM TRAINOR of The Montana Standard
I
n 2006, Nick Kujawa, president of Kujawa Development LLC, was working for a Manhattan law firm and loving big city life. He treasured the New York streets that were crowded with the bustle of commerce, but at the same time kept a cozy neighborhood feel because of nearby residential living. “When I would tell my dad everything I loved about New York, he would always say that that was what Uptown Butte used to be like when he was my age,” Kujawa said. Kujawa That was hard for Nick to imagine. He was born and raised in the Mining City but grew up in a different era than his father, Pat. Uptown, to him, “was mostly boarded up and empty, with only a few commercial businesses.” New York City also hit lows in the 1970s. But when Kujawa lived there, he saw his clients changing it by developing neighborhoods and opening businesses. He wanted to do something similar in his hometown. In February of 2006, a packet from Butte-Silver Bow landed on his desk. The county was looking for entrepreneurs interested in a developing the 80,000-squarefoot Sears Building, located at 32-40 E. Granite Street, which had come into its possession for failure to pay taxes. It was the opportunity Kujawa was waiting for. “I jumped at the chance,” he said. Along with his family, he put together a proposal that hinged on 34 market-rate rental apartments in the building’s upper floors, retail on the ground level and community space below. After living in New York, Kujawa said he believed that “a lot of the vitality of the city is due to the proximity of the people and the shops and the restaurants. From my father’s stories, I knew this was how Uptown Butte used to be.” The proposal, which
u o y k n a Th s r a e S e h t to g n i d l i u B r u o y r o f ! s s e n i s u B
was designed by Nick’s brother architect Caz Kujawa, was chosen by county commissioners over the other designs. For the Kujawas, knowing they had won was both exciting and nerve-wracking. “If you would have walked through the building in 2006, you would have seen rolling, buckling floors and deteriorating masonry, inches of pigeon droppings and a multitude of structural issues,” he said. Still, he saw potential. He quit a high-paying job and moved back home with his wife, Jennifer Hurley. They started a family while Kujawa got started figuring out how they could afford to fix up the Sears Building. — From The Montana Standard, Dec. 12, 2009
CONGRATULATIONS
Sears Building & Hennessey Market
On Your Beautiful Addition To Uptown Butte
cGree Trucking
M
723-3728
/VIDEO SURVEILLANCE
MOTORIZED WINDOW COVERINGS Hennessy Market 2011
11
s n o i t a l u t a r g n Co
Up next ... Kujawa buys Hirbour building, plans to renovate into condos
To the Hennessy Market & Sears Building Project
BY TIM TRAINOR of The Montana Standard
Fresh off the renovation of the Sears Building, Nick Kujawa is tackling a taller, albeit much skinnier, project. Kujawa purchased Hirbour Tower, located on the northeast corner of Broadway and Main, in January with plans to turn it into seven upscale condominiums. The building, erected in 1901, is known as “Butte’s first skyscraper” because of its internal construction of vertical steel girders. “This is a very sound structure,” Kujawa said. “Compared to the Sears Building, it’s in really good shape.” WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD The Hirbour was built as a grocery store but has THE HIRBOUR BUILDING is most commonly been used as commercial office
A Great Addition To Uptown Butte! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this project.
pictured on the corner of
See NEXT, Page 14 Broadway and Main in Uptown.
Come See Us For All Your Flooring & Window Covering Needs! RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
Galle Plumbing would like to congratulate the entire Hennessy Market/ Sears Building Project Team on the completion of your new building.
Thank you for choosing us. Serving Montana Statewide Since 1983 Licensed & Insured
12
FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS Corner of Grand & Harrison, Butte, MT • 723-6066 Hennessy Market 2011
HENNESSY MARKET WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD! FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT SUMMIT BEVERAGE
Next ... Continued from Page 12 space for insurance companies, lawyers and other professionals. Kally’s Korner, a women’s retail clothing store located on the building’s street level for the last 27 years, will remain. The floors above it, which are believed to have been vacant since the mid-1990s, will get a full makeover. Kujawa said while trying to fill his rentals at the Sears Building, he often heard from customers who were looking to buy rather than rent. “You hear that 20 times or so and you start to think there may be a market out there,” he said. He had been talking with the Hirbour’s previous owner, Jeff Francis, for more than three years about acquiring the 110-year-old building. Earlier this month they finally completed the transaction, and Kujawa said he hopes to get started with construction this summer and be finished by spring 2012. He said the cost of the renovation WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD would be “in the millions.” HIRBOUR BLOCK OWNER NICK KUJAWA plans to build a deck on the roof of the Plans call for one condominium on 97-foot tower for condominium owners to enjoy the panoramic views of Uptown Butte. each floor of the building,
Congratulations On Your Beautiful New Building!
Celebrating 100 Years Of Service Your Locally Operated Elevator And Escalator Co. With Branch Offices In Montana City As Well As A Full Time Technician Living And Working In Butte.
Thank You To Markovich Construction And The Sears Building Owners LLC For Your Support.
Elevators Escalators 14
Hennessy Market 2011
approximately 1,500-square-feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Kujawa said prices will start “in the low 200s.” The condos can be accessed only through a secure Broadway Street entrance. An elevator, which will open directly into each resident’s apartment, will take them to their floor via a room key. All residents will have access to the roof, located more than 100 feet above the street below, where Kujawa said he would build a deck. Kujawa said he would look to local banks and the Butte-Silver Bow Urban Revitalization Agency to help finance the work. Because he is not building rental properties, many of the tax credit programs he utilized in the Sears Building are not applicable at the Hirbour. He said he would work with the Historic Preservation Commission to make sure all of the construction stays in keeping with the building’s historic value. To reserve a condominium or for more information, visit www.hirbourtower.com. — From The Montana Standard, Jan. 21, 2011, issue.
Congratulations On The Completion Of Your Beautiful New Building Thank You For Your Belief In Butte’s Future & Continued Growth BUTTE: 800 S. Wyoming • 782-4231 / DEER LODGE: 417 Main • 846-3311 BUTTE: OR CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-281-9829 • WWW.STEELESFURNITURE.COM
PROUDLY SERVING THE GREATER BUTTE AREA
We’re There Reaching 42 states and 75 major US markets, we’re there to provide you with solutions that perform.
Ask for assistance and our experienced sales staff will be there to help. Ask for material planning and we’ll manage your job site deliveries according to your schedule.
Congratulations Markovich Construction and Kujawa Development on a project well done. ProBuild is proud to have helped supply building materials for your project! HOME CENTER 2805 LEXINGTON AVE BUTTE, MT 406.494.7600
Ask for millwork and we’ll have the right window, door or interior trim solution. Ask for roofing and we’ll provide the materials and applicable underlayment your project requires. Ask for ProBuild and we’re there.
www.probuild.com ©2011 ProBuild. All Rights Reserved.