HELENA — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana is moving its 500 employees out of its downtown locations to a property in a development at the east end of Helena, the company said Friday.
About two years ago, the major health insurer bought 21 acres of land in the Mountain View Meadows development east of Interstate 15 and south of Route 12, raising the prospect of a move by the company.
The company plans a 100,000-square-foot structure but will likely remain in its downtown buildings for approximately two more years.
The company’s employees currently work in two downtown buildings on the corner of Lawrence Street and Fuller Avenue, and on the 500 block of Park Avenue near the Helena Civic Center.
However, the company isn’t moving right away. BCBS expects to break ground on the new building in early 2015.
According to BCBS Public Relations Director John Doran, the lease on its downtown buildings, now owned by Caring for Montanans, is up in about two years.
“A single building will allow us to better serve our members by bringing all of our employees under one roof, and enabling the efficiencies of one location rather than two,” Doran said.
He said the move to a new building in one location also “cements” the company’s long relationship with the city of Helena.
“Keep in mind our new site, our new headquarters will be in the city limits,” he said. “We have done everything possible to make it work downtown but unfortunately with two buildings, it’s just not as efficient as we need to be.”
While the move could increase downtown office vacancies, it’s a huge boost to Mountain View Meadows, a 1,000-acre development with hundreds of homes planned.
“This represents the beginning of the commercial phase of Mountain View Meadows of our mixed use development,” Developer Mark Runkle. “So this should spur the inclusion of hotels, restaurants, other offices that will serve Blue Cross and Blue Shield.”
The fate of the space left behind is not clear. But Doran said whether its leased or sold the funds will end up with the Montana Healthcare Foundation, an entity set up in the merger that is under the auspices of the attorney general.
Date: September 05, 2014