Old Post Hospital owners issued final permit to demolish historic structure

The owners of the Old Post Hospital in Fort Missoula received a final demolition permit from the City of Missoula on Thursday to remove the 114-year-old building.

The future of the hospital has been debated over the last several years as the private owners eyed developing the surrounding land, but after the city denied its plans, the owners sought demolition. 

Building owner Ken Wolf told the Missoulian on Friday morning that the structure could be removed by the end of 2026, but the owners are still analyzing how to take the building down. 

"It was never our intention to tear down that building, our intention was to save it," Wolf said in a phone call. 

Wolf criticized members of the historic preservation community who opposed his initial plans on building townhomes and two commercial structures adjacent from the hospital. 

The proposal would have used revenues from the new construction to restore the hospital building. The building has long been in decay and needed more than $9 million in renovations. 

"They didn't want to save the building, they just didn't want development in the area," Wolf said.

The city's Historic Preservation Commission and the Missoula City Council both ruled the development proposal was not compatible with the surrounding area. Fort Missoula falls under a special zoning overlay that requires specific design standards.

The owners then sought a demolition permit because of a lack of economic feasibility to restore the building. 

The Historic Preservation Commission denied the proposal in 2025, contending the owners purposely allowed the building to decay, a term called "demolition by neglect."

But the city council reversed the decision later that year, citing decades of wear and tear on the structure, including a fire that damaged the roof before the owners purchased the land.

The hospital owners then applied for the special historic demolition permit, which required approval of a redevelopment plan for the site, special signage and other regulations. 

Renderings obtained by the Missoulian in May show the owners plan on building a similarly sized building that resembles the Old Post Hospital, but would include distinct differences like an easily seen building date stamp.

Preserve Historic Missoula, a nonprofit focused on stewardship for the region's historic properties, recently included the hospital on its "most endangered historic buildings" list in May.

As of Friday, no demolition equipment was present at the Old Post Hospital, and no official date is available for its demolition. 

According to the permit, the building must be deconstructed in total with reusable materials salvaged.