Date: March 19, 2010
Contact: Amy Vanderbilt, 406 888-5838
Contact: Wade Muehlhof, 406-888-5838
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – The 214-room Many Glacier Hotel (MGH), built in 1914-1915 by the Great Northern Railroad is in the midst of a multi-phase rehabilitation. The National Park Service (NPS) at Glacier National Park today announced that the next phase of work has been awarded to Swank Enterprises for $9,531,200. This project is broken into two components which address all interior rehabilitation work on the northern half of MGH.
One component addresses administrative offices and approximately 50 percent of guest rooms. The other component includes the Dining Room, Interlaken Lounge, Kitchen, Employee Dining Room and other employee and maintenance areas. The work focuses on correcting life safety and seismic issues.
Although restoration of lost historic elements is not funded as part of this project, where surfaces and fixtures (walls, floors, lighting, etc.) are to be removed for Life/Safety repairs and rehabilitation work, replacement surfaces and fixtures will include historically-compatible surfaces and fixtures.
According to Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright, “The components are being combined to compress the timeline for the work, reduce cost and minimize impact to hotel guests and the public.Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2010 after the hotel closes for the season, with completion expected by spring of 2012 before the hotel opens for the season. During summer 2011 approximately one half (100) of the hotel guest rooms will be closed for the renovation.” Cartwright added that in 2011, a modified dining room will be available in the space adjacent to the dining room while construction continues on the current dining room space. Full menu service will be available in this area as well as in the adjoining Swiss Lounge.
Through a competitive NPS submission process, the MGH rehabilitation project received $15.6 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds. These funds must be obligated no later than September 30, 2010; however, according to Cartwright, the actual work will not begin until after the hotel closes for the season, September 2010.
“The passage of time and harsh environmental conditions has contributed to the historic hotel’s deteriorated condition. Earlier phases of the rehabilitation focused on building exterior, structural stabilization, and most immediate needs. These three phases were completed in 2005 by Swank Enterprises. Funding for the remaining work on the hotel has been requested for 2013 and 2014,” said Cartwright. This work includes lobby, guest rooms and lower level meeting spaces, as well as the south bridge and guest rooms in Annex II or southern half of the hotel. To-date, $10 million federal dollars have been spent in the last decade rehabilitating the MGH, a National Historic Landmark.
Swank Enterprises was established in 1960 by Dean Swank, who is the current company president. Swank maintains offices in Valier and Kalispell, Montana.
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