HELENA — Where others saw a vacant lot, one man saw the possibility of a thriving micro-community that would complement Helena’s historic downtown and strengthen the community.
The 11-acre Great Northern Town Center in downtown Helena, the vision of developer Alan Nicholson, is anchored by the Cinemark 8 theater on the south and by Exploration Works Science Center and the Great Northern Carousel on the north. The four blocks in between are packed with about 25 retail and service businesses, restaurants and a Best Western Premier hotel.
“We tried to build the Great Northern area as a place where we acknowledge that automobiles exist and are going to be used but where we make it comfortable for people to walk,” Nicholson said. “It’s a big area that you can cover on two legs and meet a lot of different kinds of people and socialize with a lot of different kids of people — and that was intentional.”
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“If you could see pictures of what that area looked like before they got started down there, it’s quite a transformation. And it’s still continues to grow,” said Cathy Burwell, the president and CEO of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce.
The area used to be home to a depot owned by the Great Northern Railroad. When Nicholson first became interested in the land, it was mostly a wasteland — home to several vacant buildings and a recycling center.
Nicholson partnered with the city and other developers in the mid-1990s to improve the land, and construction began in 1998. Now, with the multilevel, mixed use buildings located in the Discovery, Compass, Empire and Expedition blocks, the Great Northern brings a cosmopolitan feel to downtown Helena.
The recent economic downturn slowed growth at the Great Northern Town Center, as it did for many other business endeavors, but the center has pulled through the hard times and is starting to add new developments, Nicholson said.
A new restaurant, Irene’s Kitchen, recently opened in the Great Northern and a three-screen addition to the theater is in the works.
Financing for the seven-month theater project is in place, Nicholson said, and construction should begin in January or February.
The tax revenue generated by the Great Northern is huge for the city, Burwell said.
“It’s also such a beautiful area,” she said. “It’s a pretty fabulous addition to the town and I think that everyone should be pretty proud of it.”
While the Great Northern is great for the local economy, it’s more than just another business park — it also offers educational opportunities and fun for the whole family, say people who work there.
The hand-built Great Northern Carousel, which is enclosed and has an ice cream shop, features 37 hand-carved and painted animals.
“I come here and I spin the carousel for these young families that are just looking for something to do with their kids, to get out of the house for a little while,” said Nick Bell, the carousel operator. “It’s spreading happiness. I feel really good about it. It wouldn’t be the case if weren’t for Alan having a vision: 'from here to here — what are we doing with this piece of town? Let’s develop it.'"
“It’s a labor of love,” Nicholson said of the carousel. “The thing that’s unfortunate about it is it loses money every year. It would be nice to lose a little less maybe, but you know that’s kind of the price you pay. Anyway, it’s a fun thing to ride, and it goes counterclockwise, so if you get on it you can unwind.”
“People have different views about development, but development can be a good thing — and I think this is an example,” Bell said.
Next to the carousel is the nonprofit Exploration Works Science Center, which features a variety of science, technology, engineering and math exhibits and programs to encourage kids to explore those topics.
“There’s a tremendous amount of research that suggests the things children become passionate about between the ages of 3 and 7 tend to become their life-long interests,” said Nikki Andersen, director of Exploration Works. “We’re creating those lifelong interests that are helping kids develop their successful futures.”
With all that it has to offer, the Great Northern is one of Helena’s strongest assets, she said.
“I grew up in Helena, and I’ve seen this place without the Great Northern Town Center,” said Alec Kerins, the program and exhibits director at Exploration Works. “(It’s) literally like a little piece of downtown Denver in Helena.”
Nicholson said he wants to expand on the centralized community aspects of the Great Northern by eventually adding affordable housing to the development for people to rent or buy, which would allow people to live and work within the development.
“That is a tricky thing to do in this economy, but I think it can be done and that’s what I’m going to devote my efforts to for a while,” he said.
Independent Record reporter Eddie Gregg may be reached at 406-447-4081 or eddie.gregg@helenair.com.
