SMART Meets with Governor Gianforte

During his 56-County Tour, Governor Gianforte met with SMART and the Baker Chamber of Commerce to discuss the rehabilitation of the Baker State Bank (BSB) Building, which is the second-oldest building in Baker.

The BSB building had fallen into disrepair, and was purchased in 2020 with the goal of saving and renovating the building.

In June 2023, the Montana Department of Commerce announced Baker was one of 31 Montana communities that would share more than $10 million of grant funding for 44 historic preservation projects and received a $160,000 grant to support a roof repair.

“Part of SMART’s goal is to help keep our community vibrant,” Executive Director Katherine Miller said. “We started the renovation back in 2021 because we didn’t want to lose this piece of our history. Thanks to the funding from the state, we’ll be able to renovate this building so it can continue as a lasting part of this community long into the future.”