Montana Heritage Center committee to hold first design phase meeting

Building committee members will meet to discuss the Montana Heritage Center project design

• January 17 2020

MONTANA – The Heritage Center project building committee is set to hold the first meeting on January 22, 2020. The meeting kicks off at 10AM and will be held in the Montana Historical Society auditorium in Helena, Montana.

The Building Committee will be tasked with determining the structure, design, and look of the new Heritage Center, with consideration to the needs of the Montana Historical Society, the Capitol complex, and the public.

“Although a preliminary concept for a new Heritage Center was developed in 2010, we will need to start the design process from the beginning not only to update the concept, but to incorporate new directives and priorities. Elements that were a part of the previous design may not necessarily be envisioned in the same way,” said Director John Lewis. “The main concerns communicated to us throughout the site selection process were for access, visibility, and parking. These important considerations need to be at the forefront of this entire process,” added Lewis.

Committee members will be directed to aspire to the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability for the design. This will be the first building constructed on the Capitol campus in 36 years. The last building constructed was in 1984. The building committee will explore ways to make this building as efficient as possible, including pursuing high-level 3rd party certifications, such as USGBC LEED or the Green Building Initiative. 

The committees will report to Department of Administration Director Lewis throughout the design phase of the Heritage Center project. Director Lewis selected the location at 6^th & Roberts as the site of the New Heritage Center.

For more information on the project, including the full agenda, visit heritagecenter.mt.gov.

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