As of Monday, May 11, the Helena Symphony offices and administrative operations will be relocated from its current location at the Livestock Building to the main floor of Placer Building. Built in 1913 by George H. Carsley in association with Cass Gilbert, The Placer Hotel (aka “Hotel Placer”) was Helena’s finest hotel for many years, a political hangout, and where many historical figures stayed, including John F. Kennedy during his presidential campaign. The Placer Building currently has several retail stores including Taco del Sol and Martin’s Wines along with residential condominiums above. Other historical information on the Placer Hotel can be found at helenahistory.org/placer_hotel.htm.
The Symphony will be one of the anchors of the building on the first floor. Symphony patrons can enter on the Walking Mall entrance or the entrance just outside the Symphony offices on the north side of the Placer near Jackson Street. There is plenty of available parking on Jackson Street and there are no stairs into the offices, so it is very accessible to anyone.
“The office move has been planned for several months and originally scheduled for June but given the recent cancelations of several Symphony concerts the move was changed to May,” explains Director of Patron Services Scott Kall. “We are moving from 800 square feet to 3,200 square feet and this allows to service our patrons and 16 member staff more effectively.”
The Symphony has partnered with the Placer Commercial organization made of up the residents at the Placer Building. “We are grateful to the Placer for their ongoing collaboration with the Symphony,” states Maestro Allan R. Scott. “This move is wonderfully exciting for the Symphony during a time when our music-making is at a stand still.”
The Placer Commercial invested in a significant remodel and renovations to the space for the Symphony, and the Symphony also has redesigned the space to a more modern and industrial look. The new office space will be open starting May 11 while some continued renovations take place. An official open house will be announced at a time when there is more of an opening in the community. The contact phone number, email, and other digital contact for the Symphony remains the same, but the address change is listed below.
The contact information for the new offices in the Placer Building is:
Helena Symphony
21 N. Last Chance Gulch, Suite 100
Helena, MT 59601
406.442.1860
Helenasymphony.org