New monuments set for Nucleus in the spring

The south end of Nucleus Avenue will have a new look next year as construction on a pair of new entrance monuments is set to begin this spring.

Two years of planning by the Columbia Falls Community Foundation, a non-profit group formed in 2000 to enhance and enrich the quality of life in the community, is nearing fruition as the group looks to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the project and replace the Nucleus entrance arch which once stood near the location until it fell in the 1980s.

Designed by Bruce Lutz, the 12-foot tall, 20-foot wide signs are being manufactured by Glacier Precast Concrete, Inc. in Kalispell and will be made to look like stone. Both will feature steel lettering that says “Nucleus District” while the sign of the west side of the street will say “Adventure Lives Here” with the Columbia Falls logo and the east sign will say “Gateway to Glacier.” The pair will also feature a corrugated steel skirt that will rust over time, a surrounding bed of native flowers and plants and a lighting system to illuminate them at night.

“It’s not an arch, but it should definitely grab people’s attention and let them know it is an entrance. It will provide direction to everyone who passes by, and that has been our goal,” city manager Susan Nicosia said. “Now that the final design has been approved and we know it can be produced over the winter, it is go-time for the final fundraising for the project.”

According to foundation board member O’Brien Byrd, the project has already raised $24,000 of the $50,000 needed for completion, but the foundation is still looking for donations to help complete the monuments as no city funds will be used during the project.

As an owner of a business located on Nucleus Avenue, Byrd said the monuments are vital to help rejuvenate tourist and local business there.

“In the summer, 20,000 people drive through town every day and the vast majority of them pass right by Nucleus without ever knowing what’s up there,” he said. “The new signs will grab the attention of the passer by, be it a family of tourists from Wisconsin or someone from Whitefish who is just passing through. Everyone on Nucleus wants more signage, but there are a number of state and city regulations that make it very difficult to do.”

The largest hurdle the group had to clear before completing the project is behind them, as the Montana Department of Transportation granted the city an encroachment permit for the property Nov. 13. As a state highway, the right-of-way around Nucleus Avenue is owned by the state.

The monuments are just phase one of the planned improvements for the Nucleus District, as the foundation is also hoping at some point to install pedestrian lighting along the area’s sidewalks.

In addition to the entrance monuments, the city is also looking to install 11 new “wayfinder” signs around the city that will point visitors to important locations around the area, such as the high school and city parks, but approval of another encroachment permit is needed before those signs can be put up.

“I have grown up witnessing the economic struggle of the town, especially in the downtown Nucleus area. I saw a lot of businesses come and go and a lot of vacant buildings, Byrd said. “This entrance park should go a long way towards bringing in more business and it is something the town and its citizens can be proud of.”

Those looking to donate to the project can contact the foundation at 406-892-3386 or visit their website at www.columbiafallsfoundation.org.