Borden’s building, restored and full, is up for sale

A once-blighted historic building that anchors the intersection of Whitehall’s Main Street and Legion Avenue is up for sale following successful renovation and mixed-use leasing orchestrated by the Jefferson Local Development Corporation.

The Borden’s building, originally a billiards parlor and dancehall, and for much of the 20th century a restaurant and hotel, is listed at $1.195 million by McLeod Real Estate Group, which has offices in Butte and Whitehall. Eric Seidensticker, the executive director of the JLDC, said in a phone call on Feb. 23 that “the Borden’s building is officially for sale”—a relatively recent development in the past two weeks—although “we’ve been talking about it … for quite a while.”

Built in 1913, the 13,495-square-foot building had fallen into disrepair by the end of the 20th century and was further damaged by a fire in 2009. The JLDC acquired the building in 2014 with the goal of renovating it and filling the space with renters and businesses.