MISSOULA — With a leaking roof and visions of a greener future, the Missoula Children's Theater hopes the county will back a grant application through the state and if it does, that the application is ultimately awarded.
The downtown organization is seeking roughly $525,000 in a Community Development Block Grant to replace a roof membrane “full of pinholes” and install 124 solar panels after the repairs are complete to cut down on energy costs.
Missoula County will decide this week whether to submit the grant on behalf of MCT and the outcome of the grant should be known early next year.
“We are going to need a full roof replacement,” said Carlyn Schulzke, the organization's development director. “We also have the chance to pursue solar funding as well that will reduce the overhead cost and work toward our goal of a green downtown.”
The roof covers 15,000 square feet and began leaking in January during a production of “Rent.” Schultzke said they've patched the membrane in hopes of getting the roof through another winter.
As required by the grant, Schultzke said the funding would preserve the jobs of MCT's “low- to moderate-income employees” and retain a vibrant downtown attraction that provides live theater to 30,000 people annually.
But funding from the grant could also help the organization cut energy costs, enabling it to invest into its programming and staff. The theater is billed by NorthWestern Energy as light industry.
“On a Saturday, when we offer two shows for our community and we're running air conditioning to keep everyone comfortable, we're paying for that same amount of energy on a Monday when there's just 43 of us in the office,” Schultzke said. “Anything we can do to offset that cost is going to make a huge difference in us being able to allocate those dollars into Missoula, our programming and our staff.
The grant requires compliance on a number of fronts including income qualifications, job retention, energy performance and location, among other things.
Heidi West, a grants administrator for the county, said MCT is a “best fit” industry for Missoula County and fits most of the grant's requirements.
“This particular project didn't align perfectly with Missoula County's priorities that were established. But it's a very important project and an anchor organization in our community. It's also in line with the Downtown Master Plan,” said West.
Broken down, the grant would help fund the $300,000 cost of replacing the roof and $180,000 for a 60 KW rooftop solar array. If the county submits the grant, West said the outcome should be known in a number of months.
