Deteriorating governor's residence forces choices for Carson Street property

State officials disclosed a cascade of structural and environmental failures at the state-owned executive residence on Carson Street near the Capitol after a recent walkthrough revealed rotted ceilings, failing plumbing and electrical systems, extensive asbestos, and a roof in need of replacement. The condition has placed the property squarely before state decision makers, with implications for downtown Helena, public safety, and the state's budget.

The Department of Administration has surveyed public opinion on possible futures for the property. Options under consideration include tearing the building down and converting the lot into a park, remodeling the structure for non-residential public use, or placing the property on the market for private sale. The Capitol Complex Advisory Council will present the survey results and cost models to inform those decisions, bringing fiscal estimates and community preferences into the formal review.

Decades of deferred maintenance are at the heart of the dilemma. The home's deterioration is not merely cosmetic; asbestos and failing systems raise immediate health and safety concerns that complicate any reuse plan. A full roof replacement, removal or abatement of asbestos, and wholesale upgrades to plumbing and electrical infrastructure would add substantial costs to any renovation scenario. Conversely, demolition and remediation to prepare the site as public green space would carry its own price tag and require design decisions about how best to integrate the parcel into the Capitol complex and downtown fabric.

The property also sits within a layered history of governors' residences in Helena. The state has navigated earlier transitions among executive homes, and the recent private purchase in 2024 of the Hauser Mansion by the sitting governor introduces another variable; that property may be transferred to state ownership after the governor's term, potentially altering long-term options for official housing and use of the Carson Street lot.

For Lewis and Clark County residents, the stakes are practical as well as symbolic. The outcome will determine whether valuable downtown land becomes public park space, a civic venue, or private property; it will affect nearby homeowners and businesses during whichever process is chosen; and it will set a precedent for how the state addresses long-postponed building upkeep across the Capitol complex.

The next public step is the Capitol Complex Advisory Council presentation of survey results and cost models, which will frame the choices ahead. Our two cents? Watch the advisory council meeting, ask hard questions about asbestos abatement and lifecycle costs, and weigh the trade-offs between preserving heritage, protecting public health, and making smart use of central Helena land. Practical stewardship now will save taxpayers headaches down the road.