New owners of historic Uptown Butte Tuttle Building envision an arts-oriented future

The historic, vacant Tuttle Building in Uptown Butte sold earlier this month.

The new owners of the c. 1892 building at 304 N. Main St. include Mason Bondi, his father Michael Bondi, and Yannick Pigois-Braunschweig.

Mason Bondi talked Monday about the acquisition.

“I’ve been interested in Butte for a long time,” he said.

He is a painter and Pigois-Braunschweig is also an artist, he said.

Bondi said they envision the top floor serving as an art studio.

“The light is just incredible,” he said.

A real estate ad for the building noted “wonderful views in all directions.” Bondi said that’s true.

The 17,000-square-foot building has a full basement. Bondi said the first floor might become art studios and the second floor residences.

The Tuttle Building’s nearby neighbors include the Original Mine Yard, the Mike Mansfield Federal Courthouse and the Butte-Silver Bow Archives.

An earlier real estate ad cited an asking price of $499,000. Bondi did not disclose the purchase price.

That same ad acknowledged the need for some infrastructure upgrades; Bondi said work on the building’s plumbing and radiators is underway. He said the boiler is in good shape. The elevator will need to be certified, he said.

The building is said to be within the Urban Revitalization Agency and Opportunity Zone boundaries, which could yield financial incentives, grant funding and tax credit opportunities.

During the last decade, Action Inc. operated an emergency homeless shelter in the Tuttle Building for a time. And the building housed Homeward Bound, a transitional housing facility for homeless individuals and families.

For the building’s sale, Russell O’Leary of McLeod Real Estate Group represented the buyer and Jason Silvernale of Engel & Volkers represented the seller.

The Tuttle Building falls within the Butte National Historic Landmark District.

The building’s historic inventory reports it was built by Shelley Tuttle in 1892 “as an outlet for his foundry products and to house an inventory of hardware goods.”

Marcus Daly bought out the company in 1896 and changed its name to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company Hardware Department, the inventory reports.

Kate McCourt, historic preservation officer for Butte-Silver Bow County, said she is pleased the building has a new owner.

“Glad to see that it has sold, and hopeful the new owner can make a go of getting the whole building utilized again,” she said.

Another previously vacant, historic building in Uptown Butte was purchased in December by Christy and Benjamin Pickett of Walkerville. They acquired the building that once housed the Salvation Army in Butte.

Meanwhile, Bondi said he and his partners are excited about supporting the arts community in Butte.