Belgrade’s long-planned effort to modernize its civic facilities took a major step forward this week as the city council unanimously approved entering into a contract to begin renovating the former Heck school building. The aging facility will be transformed into a justice center that will house both the police department and municipal courts, marking the first phase of a broader redevelopment plan.
The Dec. 1 vote follows months of evaluation, during which seven firms responded to the city’s request for qualifications and proposals. After review, four finalists were interviewed: Haselden/Hennebery Eddy, Jackson/A&E + SMA, Martel/Cushing Terrell, and Langlas/45 Architecture. Ultimately, staff determined that Haselden/Hennebery Eddy — incorporated in Oregon with an office in Bozeman — offered the strongest combination of experience, technical capacity, and value.
“Haselden/Hennebery Eddy was identified as the top choice through the RFP process, and negotiations on the agreement are in the final stages,” a city staff report noted.
The firm, also known publicly as Haselden Construction, emphasized in its proposal its substantial portfolio of municipal work. With more than five decades in business, the company has completed 88 municipal projects totaling $502 million. In its letter, the company highlighted that “within those 52 years of business, 14 separate municipalities have relied on us to provide remodels, renovations, and upgrades for their facilities buildings, including several longstanding contracts spanning decades.”
Before approving the agreement, Belgrade City Manager Neil Cardwell explained that the upcoming construction will be focused on delivering only the essential upgrades needed to get the justice center operational.
"We know that this will be a multiple-phase project and that our initial funding round of the one point five (million) for Heck is going to essentially, we hope, get us to the point where we can have the appropriate office spaces for both the police and courts in that building," Cardwell said. "And the minimum, really, [is that] it's going to be mostly like HVAC and office spaces is what we're going to be able to accomplish with that."
Under the city’s earlier commitment to residents, Belgrade promised not to request additional public funding for at least five years following its acquisition of the Heck and Quaw school buildings from the school district. Cardwell reiterated that pledge, noting the community’s awareness that both facilities are aging and will eventually require full-scale renovation.
"Our promise to the community [was] 'Hey, we're going to do this, but everybody knows Heck and Quaw are old buildings, and eventually we're going to have to really do something here,'" he said. "And we promised the community that we weren't going to ask for anything for five years after acquiring ownership of that [property from the school district]."
The city has set aside $1.5 million this fiscal year for the initial upgrades to the Heck building. Additional long-term improvements, Cardwell indicated, may require a bond sale once the initial commitment period ends and planning advances toward full renovation of both the Heck and Quaw structures.
Across the street from Heck, the historic Quaw school building is slated to become Belgrade’s new city hall. The city has budgeted $1 million for its initial renovations, and thanks to the structure of the new contract, Belgrade will have the option to use Haselden/Hennebery Eddy for upgrades to both buildings. Cardwell said that continuing with a single firm “gives a lot of flexibility and potential savings,” especially for a multi-phase civic facility modernization program.
While councilmembers voted unanimously to authorize Cardwell to finalize the agreement, specific contract terms were still being completed at the time of the vote. The motion also grants the city manager authority to approve future change orders with legal review.
This renovation marks one of the most significant civic infrastructure efforts currently underway in Belgrade. The justice center project represents the city’s strategy to adapt older public buildings for modern needs while managing costs and upholding commitments to voters — and it lays the groundwork for a broader transformation of the city’s administrative and public safety footprint.
Originally reported by SEAN BATURA Belgrade News in Montana Right Now.
