Revamped armory to be dedicated today

The Daily Inter Lake

The city of Whitefish will commemorate Veterans Day today with the dedication of the newly remodeled armory building.

The building, which will now be a community center, has been renamed the Roy Duff Memorial Armory after the Whitefish native who was a longtime highway commissioner for Montana.

Duff, also an Army lieutenant colonel, spent nearly five years engaged in battles in the South Pacific, where he was wounded in New Guinea. Later, he was in the first American group to enter Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped.

He and his wife, Norma, returned to Whitefish in 1946, where he started the Whitefish Taxi and the town's first ambulance service, and soon after, Whitefish's first full-time wrecker service and first school bus.

A former mayor of Whitefish and city council member, Duff also helped found Winter Sports Inc., the corporation that continues to run Big Mountain today.

Duff will receive a plaque at today's 11 a.m. ceremony.

Members of the military brass and local politicians also will be on hand for the flag raising. Ceremony attendees also will see the new veterans memorial the city installed as part of the renovation.

The renovation included numerous building upgrades, such as improvements to the heating and plumbing systems, as well as a remodeled kitchen and restrooms. New to the building are basketball and volleyball courts.

Outside the building, Whitefish added two parking lots and partially installed the road leading to the armory.

Remodeled office space will house the city's recreation employees, according to Parks and Recreation Director Dan Keyes.

The recreation department will hold some recreation programs in the armory and also will make the space available to rent for various functions, such as private parties or sports activities.

The project cost $596,801 for construction and $77,033 for design. The money for the project came from Whitefish's tax increment fund.

Davidson Construction of Whitefish handled construction and CTA Architects Engineers of Kalispell did the design work. Whitefish began working on the armory in late spring and has finished all but some final details of the remodeling, Keyes said.

The Roy Duff Memorial Armory is located at 305 Armory Rd.

In Whitefish, turn east on Second Street, then right on Armory Road and follow to the armory.