BUTTE — Butte’s historic Motherlode Theater is celebrating 100 years in the Mining City this year and they want the iconic building around another 100 years. That’s why the city is installing a new fire suppression system in the building, but they’re not cheap.
“Fire suppression in general over the past few years has tripled in cost a lot of times, it seems like, when we’ve gotten some estimates, and it’s gotten very expensive,” said Butte Community Development Director Karen Byrnes.
Butte has received about $700,000 from the Montana Historic Preservation Grant Program and some matching funds from the Urban Revitalization Agency to pay for the fire system. The city is expected to receive some bids on the project soon.
The city has been trying to get funding for this project for the past five years.
“The building’s a challenge, the size of it, there’s a lot of area in that building,” said Butte Government Buildings Manager John Sullivan.
The project will put sprinklers on all five levels of the building.
“Those kinds of buildings can’t be replaced, no matter what you insure them for. We have an abundance of those and we’ve got to do our best to keep them around,” said Byrnes.
The Motherlode was opened in September 1924.
“It is the last theater in Butte from the Golden Age of vaudeville and all the acts came through. And it offers a lot, you know, for the community. I mean, my kids came up going through the theater with the OGT,” said Sullivan.
If a bid is selected, officials are hopeful installation can begin later this year.
