Roosevelt Center Revitalized
Red Lodge
Advertorial
It’s been a work in progress, but the historic Roosevelt Center, a 104-year-old building, which served as the Roosevelt School for over eight decades, is now an event and art center and fast becoming a destination-conference location.
August 1st and 2nd will be one of the biggest fundraiser events for the Roosevelt Center as it hosts the Red Lodge Summerfest: a celebration of summer, music, arts, crafts and community. This year, the event will run for two consecutive days rather than three separate days throughout the summer.
The Roosevelt will host the event entirely on their grounds, which will accommodate not only the musicians and vendors but also family-friendly activities with plenty of room for dancing.
“With the Beartooth Pass, the Wildlife Sanctuary and all kinds of outdoor activities - fishing, biking, hiking and camping, we’re expecting a crowd,” Jennifer said. “And of course, in inclement weather, we have a beautiful auditorium that will be available to use.”
In 2009, after the new high school was built, the building was used as storage for the school district. Almost another decade passed before it was officially renamed the Roosevelt Center. Today the building bustles with activity - hosting conferences and community events and is home to a youth learning center and the town’s only community bike shop. Outside, the parking area has been transformed into a beautiful public green space with attractive sculptures, a raised bed garden and plenty of shade.
“We have something very unique to offer,” said Jennifer Drinkwalter, Event Manager. “We are putting a significant amount of our energy into being able to host conventions and short-term events.”
Since 2017, when the Roosevelt Center became a project under the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, major improvements have brought the building up to code: new heating, ADA parking, a suppression fire system, as well as refurbishing the auditorium and creating smaller spaces for tenants, artists’ displays and performance space.
One of the biggest projects was renovating the auditorium into a multi-purpose space. Gone are the painted court lines, the basketball hoops and the wooden stage. The room now boasts beautiful, sanded maple floors, attractive walls and the ability to evolve from showing movies and hosting wedding receptions to space for online meetings for up to 300 people.
The state-of-the-art Audio/Visual system is the pride of the Roosevelt and is the only one of its kind in Carbon County. Capabilities include music festivals, virtual meetings, off-site rentals with any number of microphones, speakers and screens.
Future improvements will include additional public restrooms, a catering kitchen for vender-use events and the completion of an elevator.
As items on the list of renovations and improvements are crossed off, the staff at the Roosevelt continue to strategize to attract convention possibilities to the facility.
“We want to make the Roosevelt Center more attractive to larger conferences as a whole,” explained Mitch Lagge, Building Coordinator and Sound Engineer. “One of the unique things about Red Lodge is that we’re small enough that everything the town offers is within walking distance. Attendees are more engaged in their conference because there are less distractions to draw them away.”
With over twenty tenants renting space in the building, and events filling the calendar, the Roosevelt has become important to the residents of Red Lodge. Several youth performing arts programs are offered, and many local artists utilize the space to display their work. Endowment funds and donation opportunities are available as well as volunteer positions to assist the staff.
With options from company trainings to intimate family celebrations, the Roosevelt is gaining popularity with a diverse range of gatherings.
“The Roosevelt Center is a place where we can host an event and everyone attending has a choice of where they want to stay and eat, and still be able to take in local fare,” Jennifer said. “It’s the perfect year-round facility.”
