Since 1959, a building at the corner of Carson Street and Broadway in Helena has served as the state-owned home for Montanas governors and their families but its currently sitting empty. Now, state leaders are asking the public to weigh in on what the buildings future should be. On Thursday, the Montana Department of Administrations General Services Division held an open house at the Executive Residence, located at 2 Carson Street, southeast of the State Capitol. Theyre planning another on Saturday.We hope that people will get a better sense of the property and understand what the limitations are, which would then inform decisions for its future use, to find the best and most practical use for the property, said GSD administrator Steve Baiamonte, whos also DOAs director of security.(Watch the video for a look inside the Executive Residence.) Montana holding open house, seeking input on future of governor's residenceThe house was built as a replacement for Montanas historic Governors Mansion, near downtown Helena. In all, 12 governors have used it as a home or for state purposes.Shaped much like a ship and sometimes referred to as a ship of state, it is 12,000 square feet, with six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a ballroom and a three-car garage. But it also has aging fixtures, electrical systems out of compliance with code, a need for asbestos abatement and other issues that would have to be addressed before it could be put back to use.As it sits right now as a structure, it needs some major renovation, along the lines of things like roofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC some major system components have to be replaced in this structure, Baiamonte said. Over the years, some parts of the residence got updates through private funding, but DOA says theres been a lot of deferred maintenance that hasnt happened over the years.Obviously governors don't want to spend taxpayer dollars on their own house, right that logically makes sense, DOA director Misty Ann Giles told the Capitol Complex Advisory Council during a meeting last month.Gov. Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte moved out in 2021, with remodeling initially expected to start that year and wrap up by the end of 2022. However, that didnt happen. While the 2019 Legislature appropriated about $1.9 million for the work and the 2021 Legislature added another $440,000, DOA leaders said prices rose and they couldnt get a bid to do the work within that budget.The decision was made at the time to hit pause, and figure out a new path forward, Giles told the advisory council. In 2024, the Gianfortes announced they were buying and moving into the Samuel T. Hauser Mansion, a historic home on Helenas west side, with the plan of donating it to the state after his term as governor ends.However, theres still no answer on whats next for the Carson Street property. The advisory council gave DOA approval to seek additional public input. The department sent postcards to residents within a quarter-mile of the building, telling them about the open houses and providing a link to an online survey, open until Dec. 19. The survey asks peoples preference between three options for the residence: remodeling it for other state use, like meeting space; selling it off; or demolishing it and turning the area into green space. However, leaders say theyre open to all ideas people may have.We want to do something with it; we want to do the right thing, said Baiamonte. So we'd like to land on a decision and then move forward.If youd like to see the residence for yourself, the next open house will be Saturday, Dec. 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. You can find more information here. ...read more read less