BUTTE - The owners of this old building that was once part of Butte’s historic Hansen’s Meat Processing plant have big plans for the old steam plant building and it’s pretty obvious this is a passion project.
“This will preserve the structure. We’ve fell into waste, rot and ruin long enough and so … woo, blessing to the people of Montana for saving the structure,” said Jason Christensen.
WATCH: Passion Project: Owners Aim to Transform Butte's Old Steam Plant
The owners of the one remaining structure of the former Hansen meat packing plant in Butte received $200,000 from the Montana Department of Commerce to help preserve this historic structure.
“It’s a Band-Aid that, well, it’s a tourniquet to preserve this structure,” said Christensen.
Christensen and his wife, Lita, purchased the old steam plant in 2018. They plan to use the funding to repair the roof, which will prevent further erosion of the building’s east wall.
“Not just restore the building, but restore some of that legacy of Walter G. Hansen and the Hansen Packing Plant,” he said.
Located at the base of Timber Butte off Rowe Road, the plant started in 1912. At one point, the plant had 17 structures on nearly 40 acres of land and employed about 350 people.
“It’s really important for Butte, because it was a really valuable operation. It fed the troops in the two world wars, it was the first place to can dog food,” said Butte Historic Preservation Officer Kate McCourt.
The owners hope to eventually turn it into a center for weddings, vintage markets, and other events.
“Anything that brings people together and gets that camaraderie of Butte, America, and Montana, for that matter,” said Christensen.
The Anaconda Courthouse also received $200,000 from the state for restoration, and the World Museum of Mining in Butte was awarded $155,000.
