STEVENSVILLE — Like many communities in Montana, Stevensville is growing.
Next to agricultural land, new subdivisions checkerboard the layout of the Bitterroot Valley town, and just about a mile south of Main Street, plans are in motion for a new community center.
“It was a dream of the Stevensville Community Foundation when it was established in the late '90s to build a foundation or a community center," explained Bob Thomas who is the chairman of the incoming project.
The foundation purchased 3.5 acres off of Middle Burnt Fork Road on the corner of Park Avenue in the early 2000s. That land — bordered by fencing and railroad tracks — will soon be home to a brand new center.
“We've established a floor plan and a rendering to work from and so we are now doing surveys trying to figure out exactly what the community most needs," Thomas explained.
Residents can participate in an online survey through Thursday, Feb. 10 to provide their feedback on the project.
“We want to provide educational opportunities, physical education opportunities, and more than anything, a place that the community can call their own and create that community spirit," Thomas said.
Thomas — who is a native of Stevensville — says the undertaking is his priority, "so when I retired, my personal goal was to take this thing as far as we can get it and my personal goal is to get it done for the community.”
The ideal timeline is to break ground this coming fall or early next year.
