SMARTjobs:

(Southwest Montana Art & Recreation Trust) Phase II:
Renovation of the Historic YMCA Building
The Urban Arts Cultural Center of Butte, Montana

Overview of the proposed project

The Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation (BSBAF) has been given the opportunity to restore, renovate, and reclaim Butte’s historic YMCA building. Centrally located in Uptown Butte’s National Historic Landmark District, the YMCA building built in 1917 once housed national and international guests, and operated a community-wide YMCA co-educational facility. Butte’s Park and Broadway Street vicinity entertained its residents with many prominent theaters, exquisite music halls, famous artists, and literary geniuses. The YMCA building’s significant mark on the local community has left its indelible impression as a place for all to enjoy. It is the focus of this community’s cultural heritage that the BSBAF wishes to preserve for all our future generations.

BSBAF seeks funding for a feasibility study of the YMCA building, professional grant development, marketing services, and staffing. This funding will support a portion of Phase II of the BSBAF Arts Immersion Summer Program Pilot Project known as SMARTjobs (Southwest Montana Art and Recreation Trust) for adults and youth in Butte and the Upper Clark Fork Basin. SMARTjobs is a network of organizations working collaboratively to maximize economic and social revitalization in Southwest Montana by providing arts, culture, heritage, and recreational opportunities. Our project encompasses community development focusing on creating jobs and increasing revenues within the communities of Butte and the Upper Clark Fork Basin.

The strategic plan continues with SMARTjobs Phase II Comprehensive Arts Immersion Program that begins with the renovation and restoration of the YMCA building for a World-Class Art Museum, accredited Art School, and Arts Incubator through an expanded art program to include theater, performance, music, and literary arts. The Phase I Arts Immersion Summer Program moves forward to offer a variety of youth art and recreation camps in conjunction with the YMCA, expanded family immersion experiences in conjunction with the YMCA, and a student-exchange program. This comprehensive phased economic development program continues to lead us to our sustainable goals. We will accomplish this mission by partnering with the Corcoran Museum and College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C., the University of Utah, the University of Montana Western Outreach Program in Dillon, the Clark Fork Coalition, the Rocky Mountain Agile Virtual Enterprises Technical Development Center (RAVE TDC) at Montana Tech of The University of Montana, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity Creative Enterprise Cluster, the Butte Local Development Corporation, the Urban Revitalization Agency, the local YMCA, and a variety of other organizations and businesses in Southwest Montana.

The primary benefit of the BSBAF’s SMARTjobs Project will be the jobs created and the revenues earned. SMARTjobs will encourage and support the youth and their families in the Upper Clark Fork Basin through arts educational programs that support local traditions, heritage and participatory exposure and opportunities in the arts and humanities.

Description of the economic development benefits to the City/County that will result from the project, program or service

Historically, the YMCA building has been a focal point of Uptown Butte where youth and adults, singles and families, residents and non-residents alike could participate in healthy recreational activities. BSBAF wants to enlarge the scope of the YMCA building to create a world class museum, an art gallery, and a ‘cultural incubator’ that would serve the community, the state, and the nation.

As the BSBAF Center, the YMCA building would house SMARTjobs, our Arts Immersion Program described in the Overview. We plan to fund our day-to-day operations through the rental of offices, facility use fees, gallery commissions, art supply sales, and museum shop sales. We will also continue to actively seek outside sources of funding through grants and perhaps loans to pursue our goal of completely renovating and restoring this wonderful historic building. SMARTjobs revenues will be used to supplement our restoration and adaptive re-use plans for the YMCA building.

The summer of 2006 will see the first of a number of different arts immersion camps and courses. These programs have been developed to be self-sufficient and to require no external sources of funding. Our target audience for the youths’ Arts Immersion Camps and the Family Art and Recreation Experience Camps are families that are interested in art, art education and Montana. Thus, these families will make our region a destination and not a place to “drive through,” which will create an increase in the positive economic impact for regional vendors of goods and services.
The Economic Mill Levy monies will be used as ‘seed money’ to begin the engineering evaluation of the YMCA building, to continue the research and development of grant opportunities, to develop promotional/marketing materials, and to manage the operations of the YMCA facility.

Summary of economic benefit for Butte-Silver Bow

The adaptive re-use of the YMCA building as an arts center and cultural incubator for the community of Butte-Silver Bow will build upon SMARTjobs’ Phase I Pilot Project. This project was endorsed by the Butte Silver Bow Government with an initial grant of $34,000 from the Economic Mill Levy. BSBAF demonstrated that within the six months following receipt of the funds, it accomplished over half of its intended objectives by doubling jobs and increasing revenues. BSBAF has a proven track record for networking with local, regional and national funding sources along with private donors in the renovation and restoration of two historic buildings in Uptown Butte’s National Historic Landmark District. Our Arts Foundation completed restoration projects at the Charles W. Clark Chateau Museum, known as the Arts Chateau Museum, and the historic Montana Leather Company, now known as the Butte Silver Bow Arts Center/Venus Rising Espresso House. BSBAF used a variety of available funding resources and a vast array of local volunteers who support the arts in our community.

Our Arts Foundation has noticed a significant change in local support for our vision that the arts play a significant role in our community. This is demonstrated by the overwhelming increase in attendance by local, regional, national, and international residents and travelers to the Butte Silver Bow Arts Center (BSBAC) at 124 S. Main Street. Over 26,000 visitors, including local high-school students and their instructors have frequented the BSBAC. Many have participated in BSBAC’s art classes, gallery exhibits, and literary arts programs. Expanded opportunities for programs in film production, photojournaling, and music are being explored with the reinvention of the YMCA building as a cultural incubator.

The benefits for Butte Silver Bow include a functioning, community-based building that will be maintained and eventually restored to its historic glory. These benefits will reach beyond economics to the development of social capital, expanded community integrity, and strong regional collaborations. The YMCA building will become the center for cultural development through SMARTjobs goals, which include:

• The adaptive re-use of the YMCA gymnasium as a world class arts museum to exhibit the W.A. Clark collection from the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, DC
• The ability to display other collections that will enhance the cultural tourism industry in Butte
• The creation of a cultural incubator as a focus for local businesses, non-profit organizations, education groups, and artists to network ideas and projects and expand revenue generating potential.

Specific, measurable results and milestones to be achieved from the project, program or service and Project, program or service timeline

SMARTjobs has a 10-12 year timeline to achieve all its goals. In Years 1-3 we will meet the terms of the Pilot Project, which entails the first offerings of our Summer Arts Immersion Camps and Courses. As noted in last year’s Economic Mill Levy request, the Camps and Courses will earn us enough money to continue operations into the following year. The profits from Year 1 will allow us to offer our Camp and Course offerings to more people during more sessions in Year 2 and so on.

We have used the 2004-2005 Economic Development Mill Levy monies to fund research, business planning, and grant writing activities. The 2004-2005 Mill Levy monies have boosted our ability to launch the SMARTjobs Project. The funding was approved in November 2004 but we did not receive the funds on April 11, 2005. The timing of the funds received did not allow us to initiate the first Summer Arts Immersion Camps. Instead, we have focused on networking, grant research and submittals, and information presentation. During the last six (6) months we have accomplished the following:

•Research grants
•Written and applied for grants
•Conducted meetings with private organizations
•Presented to local non-profit organizations
•Networked with national, regional, and local groups and corporation
•Filmed and produced a promotional DVD outlining the history of the BSBAF and future vision for SMARTjobs
•Designed and produced a Website and PowerPoint presentation
•Collected data and conducted research fro our business and marketing plans
•Currently in the process of formulating marketing strategies to augment our business plan
•Scheduled meetings for the week of October 17, 2005 with Senator Conrad Burns, Senator Max Baucus, the Americans for the Arts organization, the Corcoran Museum of Art staff, and the Dean of the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

The balance of the 2004-2005 Mill Levy monies will be use to continue the development of the SMARTjobs Pilot Project. Taking over the historical YMCA building presents an opportunity to plunge into Phase II of our phased economic development plan (see Appendix C). Our first objective is to have a feasibility study performed that includes the following:

•Mechanical Engineering report
•Structural Engineering report
•Electrical Engineering report
•Architectural drawings

The information from the feasibility study will allow us to plan for the future and will become an integral part of our business plan. We will also use the 2005-2006 Economic Mill Levy monies to continue our active pursuit of outside funding through proposal development and promotional marketing.

We plan to finance the day-to-day operating costs of the YMCA through the following:
•Rents
•Art Studios
•Offices
•Facility Use Fees
•Darkroom
•Multi-purpose Room
•Dance
•Music Lessons
•Band Practice Studio
•Events/Fundraisers
•Ceramic/kiln studio
•Art Supply Store
•Museum Shop
•Grants from outside sources
•SMARTjobs
•Summer Workshops

Explanation of whether funds requested will complete the proposed project, program or service, or whether additional, matching/outside funding will be required

The funds requested will enable us to pay for the feasibility study, which will be the first step in the renovation process of the YMCA building. Additional funding will be needed to complete the renovation. Monies from the Mill Levy will also be used as a match for outside funding. Sources for these matching funds are being developed from the National Park Service, the Urban Revitalization Agency, the National Trust “Save America’s Treasures,” the EPA, and many others.

Our long-term goal is to become completely self-sustaining through revenues generated by the YMCA building rentals and user fees, merchandise sales, and commissions on art sales through our gallery. We will supplement these funding sources with a portion of the revenues from our Immersion Camps and Courses. Over time, our art-based manufacturing facilities will provide another source of revenue and assist in our goal of becoming self-sustaining and profitable. All of the projects including the restoration of the Arts Chateau, future program development, and our education and manufacturing programs will support ongoing economic development within the Butte Silver Bow community.

Examples of previous projects, programs or services similar to what is proposed; include project name location, brief description

Examples of those previous programs and projects that are similar to our proposal request for the economic mill levy funding for SMARTjobs are as follows.

1. Since 1997, the BSBAF has provided services to over 85,000 participants in the forms of:

a. Art education classes, workshops, and lectures
b. Art and recreation youth day camps
c. Lectures
d. Performances
e. Community events
f. Tours of the Art Chateau Museum
g. Fine art exhibitions
h. Historic displays

2. Since 1997, the BSBAF has generated over $700,000 in revenue through a variety of funding activities to include:

a. Publishing and sales of the Butte Heritage Cookbook
b. The Art Supply Store at the BSB Arts Center
c. The Venus Rising Espresso House at BSBAC
d. Gallery art sales
e. Gift shop at the Arts Chateau Museum
f. Annual Wine Tasting Festival
g. Lobsterfest
h. Art and Music Festival
i. Annual Membership and Fund Drives

3. Since 1997, the BSBAF has completed a major building restoration of the
Arts Chateau Museum at 321 W. Broadway Street

a. $280,000 exterior restoration, 1998
b. $8,000 gallery restoration, 1998
c. $12,000 gallery restoration, 1999
d. $5,000 stained glass window restoration, 2001

4. Within the past 24 months, the BSBAF has expanded its service area to include the new BSBAC in the Historic Montana Leather Company building located at 124 S. Main Street. The BSBAC is the home of the Venus Rising Espresso House, an Art Supply Store, and the new 800 sq ft Gallery/Lecture Hall. Within the BSBAC, we operate the A. Dofe Artist-in-Residence Program and operate a portion of our arts and cultural programs. The completed renovation includes:

a. Exterior façade renovation
b. 2800 sq ft renovation of first and second floors
c. Rear lecture hall and gallery.

SMARTjobs Phased Development Plan:

Phase I Goals: Years 1-3
Pilot Summer Arts Immersion Program

• Year 2:
• (1) Youth art and recreation camp
• (1) Family art and recreation experience
• (1) Fine art immersion course with university credit
• (1) Corcoran School of Art immersion course in Butte
• Year 3: Evaluate Phase I progress and implement Phase II planning
• By end of Year 3, we shall
• Have serviced 250-350 customers, with an average economic benefit of $1,800 per person
• Have created 3-5 full-time jobs and 10-15 part-time seasonal jobs

Phase II Goals: Years 4-6
Comprehensive Summer Arts Immersion Program

• Variety of youth art and recreation camps
• Expanded family immersion experiences
• Student exchange programs in operation
• Expanded art program to include theater, performance, music and writing
• Begin Renovation/Restoration of YMCA for World Class Museum, Art School, and Cultural Incubator
• Ideas for use of the Six (6) floors
• 1st and 2nd floors: offices
• 3rd and 4th floors: world-class art museum, art studios,artist-in-residence programs, arts immersion programs, manufacturing training programs
• 5th and 6th floors; student exchange programs
• Pool area: ceramic and manufacturing facilities
• Handball Court area: MT Tech Virtual Reality Caves
• Evaluate Phase II progress and implement Phase III planning
• By end of Year 6, we will
• Have serviced 500-600 customers, with an average economic benefit of $2,200 per person (a comprehensive program will increase average spending)
• Have created 10-15 full-time jobs and 20-40 new seasonal part-time jobs
• Begin Marketing and Manufacturing arts/crafts products

Phase III Goals: Years 7-9
Merge Arts Curriculum with Community Projects

• Continuation of Renovation/Restoration projects
• Implement cottage manufacturing in Upper Clark Fork communities
• Implement expanded semester studies arts immersion programs
• By end of Year 9, we will
• Have serviced > 1,000 customers
• Have created 35-50 full-time jobs with wages ranging from $7/hour - $20/hour
• Have created 45-65 part-time seasonal employees
• Have created and sold manufacturing products with a net profit of $400K to $1M per year

Phase IV Goals: Years 10-12
SMARTjobs Project Fully Operational


• Restoration of Education and Museum facility in Butte completed
• Begin exhibition connection with the Corcoran Museum
• Manufacturing facilities fully operational
• Expanded year-round high school programs
• Expanded year-round university programs
• Collaborate marketing for artists, craftsperson, and manufacturers
• By Year 12, we will
• Service 3,500 customers per year
• Create and sell manufacturing products with a net profit of $2.5M-$10M per year
• BSBAF Staff: 10-20
• Museum Staff: 15-25
• Art Education Immersion Staff: 20-30
• Manufacturing Jobs: 45-75
• Sales Jobs: 5-15
• Support Jobs: 75-100
• Subsequent Jobs (i.e. Recreation/activity, tourism services): 200

Media Documentation
BSBAF Website: www.bsbarts.org
For more media documentation, contact Glenn Bodish at 723-7600.

Media Documentation available:
•“Arts in the Copper Camp": DVD
• SMARTjobs PowerPoint Presentation