Another Historic Missoula Building is on the Chopping Block

The Missoula Mercantile isn’t the only historic building in town set for demolition. According to HD 94 Representative Kimberly Dudik, plans to tear down the Missoula County Fair Office Building are underway. She says it could happen sometime in the next few weeks and warns that it could impact the area’s listing on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The fair office building contributes to a designation of the Missoula County Fairgrounds on the National Register of Historic Places," Dudik said. "The fair office was one of two remaining barracks at Fort Missoula that was moved from the fort in 1955 to the current fair site. The building has it's origins in around 1933 when these types of temporary buildings were erected by CCC camp.

Missoula County Chief operating Officer Chris Lounsbury confirmed that the building is scheduled to be removed, but says efforts have been taken to preserve the National Registry status of the fairgrounds.

Well, any change in a historic district could have that kind of impact, but we have worked with a historic preservation officer. Our architect who has worked on the project is a historic preservation architect, to make sure that that would not have an impact on the listing. We have also been working with the city to make sure that any group that had potential interest in the building would have the opportunity to look at that, but at this point, no one has come forward."

Lounsbury said the area will likely be turned into a picnic area for families.