BOZEMAN — Since 1920, a building on the corner of Black and Main Street has stood four stories high, but today progress is being done, going back in time to its original exterior.
The old bank building was renovated in the 1970s, and to Randy Scully, there seemed to be so much potential.
“These historic buildings are timeless, you look at downtown Bozeman, and you look at all of these historic buildings that line Main Street,” Scully said, “This is a piece of Bozeman that we need to maintain.”
Remodeling the interior and exterior of the building is no small undertaking, Scully explains, he has done restoration projects in the past but not one of this size. The team is remodeling and restoring the original building, but also expanding into the current home of US Bank.
US Bank will, upon completion, move into the first floor of the bank building, Scully said. Their current home will then be remodeled, giving extra square footage to the project.
The team has dug up several photos of the 1920 building to reference and use as a guide, but history still found a way to surprise the workers. While dismantling and taking down the 70s cornice, a colorful sign was uncovered.
“We knew it was there from historical photos, but that was all covered,” Scully said, “That was a surprise!”
Throughout the floors, existing bathroom tile and stone remain, as well as cemented archways that used to be doors. The goal is to utilize existing materials to refurbish what needs to be fixed and to match others as closely as possible.
The completion date for the building is in 2024, with the hopes of US Bank moving into the first floor in early spring of that year.
