BILLINGS — In 1984, the Pierce Packing Plant closed, but 40 years later, the building reopened as luxury condominiums for sale.
For Marty Connell, president of Cairo Center Condominiums, the space was a diamond in the rough.
“We’ve been at this location for about 25 years, and when we bought this location, it was an old Pierce packing plant. It was abandoned,” Connell said Wednesday. “For me, it was a gem in the middle of the city of Billings. I was one of the founders and the first chairman of the Billings Industrial Revitalization District, so this was part of that.”
Condos range from 1,500 square feet to 3,300 square feet, and prices start at $535,000 and go up to more than $800,000.
“At 83 years old, I may be a little naive, but if you say, ‘Okay, I want to move back here,’ the first thing I say is, do you want to live in an industrial area?” “Said Mr. Connell. “So next thing I say, do you want to live in an old packing house?” Now, we don’t know that it was an old packing house. ”
Connell said it’s important to provide space for people to live downtown. Space owners park in a parking garage in the basement of a former factory and take an elevator up to their floor.
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“You can’t have a viable industrial area without housing,” Connell said. “This is for people who want to live in a very nice condominium that is safe, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.”
Downtown Billings Association Development Director Mehmet Casey said living space is something the area needs.
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“As far as I know, pretty much everything, whether it’s a rental unit or a unit that’s available for purchase, is pretty much claimed, which means occupied, and pretty much everything also has a waiting list. So the inventory We need to add more,” Casey said. “My board’s priority is to encourage, encourage and embrace more of this type of development that encourages commercial business activity on the ground and commercial activity in the residential areas above it. ”
Old Town Flats, an apartment complex on First Avenue North, is also currently available for rent.
“There was a huge demand for housing downtown, especially in this area, right in the middle of Story Montana Avenue. We also have warehouses. We have 12 restaurants here. We also have a pub station right down the street. “There’s a lot of activity here, and we wanted people who actually live in the area, not just visit the area,” building owner Max Griffin said. “It’s a completely unique building and a completely unique environment. We’ve never built new housing downtown before.”
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There are 36 units available for rent, with prices starting at $1,295.
“I think this will appeal to a lot of young professionals, especially those who work in hospitals or downtown, or who just want to be a little bit closer to the vibrant restaurants and eateries around downtown,” Property Management said. said Amanda Tracy. “We’re currently renting. We’ve actually moved our first few tenants upstairs, and we’ll be moving to another location next week.”
