Country Store board opts not to buy Legion building

The board of the Country Store, located on Main Street in Polson and operated by 10 area churches, has opted not to purchase the building the store occupies.

“We just decided we didn’t want to be saddled up with a mortgage,” said volunteer Phyllis Dresen. The store has served Polson for around 50 years, selling used clothing and household items and donating the proceeds to area nonprofits, including the Boys and Girls Club, Cheerful Heart, Helping Hands, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, senior centers in Polson and Ronan, and Tribal Waves – Youth with a Mission.

The building on Main Street is about a century old and was purchased by the American Legion Hardwick Post 112 after World War II. Members met upstairs until 2005, when they wearied of climbing stairs and temporarily moved to the VFW. The post has since purchased another building on Third Ave. E. and plans to sell the Main St. location to pay off its mortgage.

In June, the Legion offered to sell the building to the churches at a discount, requested a down payment of $50,000 and would have been willing to carry the mortgage.

According to Dresen, “we reached about 40% of what we needed in pledges,” but the board of directors ultimately decided against purchasing the building. She’s hopeful whoever buys it will continue renting to the store, and to the daycare located upstairs.

“I think everyone realizes it would be a big loss to community if the store had to close because of the good we do in the community,” she said.

Jeff Nelson, a trustee for the American Legion Hardwick Post, said he understands the Country Store’s decision.

“The ladies’ biggest concern was their age and that there didn’t seem be a lot of interest from younger members in the churches to take it over,” he said. “They didn’t want a 15-to-20-year commitment that they might not be able to fulfill.”

He expects the building to go on the market this week for around $250,000.

“Hopefully whoever buys it will work out a deal with the Country Store and the daycare center,” he said. “It’s in the hands of somebody else now – nobody knows what a new buyer might do.”