By Tim Leeds/Havre Daily News/tleeds@havredailynews.com
Members of the Havre Wrestling Club board of directors are considering donating the Mat Corner wrestling building to Havre Public Schools.
Board member Chris Faber said he is willing to discuss giving the building to the district "if there's something we can work out that's fair to both." That could possibly include allowing the club to continue to use the building.
The club put the building at the intersection of Second Avenue and Second Street up for sale earlier this year, saying the $15,000 it spends each year on taxes, insurance and utilities is prohibitive.
The future of the building will probably be discussed at the board of directors meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Mat Corner, club president Brian Schaub said.
"The board is kind of torn between giving it to the high school and selling it," Schaub said.
Schaub said the club has only received one offer, which was quite a bit lower than the $90,000 asking price.
Schaub declined to disclose the amount of the offer or who made it.
Havre Public Schools director of operations Ric Floren said that under Montana law, a decision to accept the property for the district would have to be made by the school board.
"The district would be more than interested in examining any proposal and making a recommendation to the board," Floren said.
Uncertainty about the future of the building won't affect this wrestling season. Both the wrestling club and the Havre High School wrestling team practice there.
Schaub said the board decided to wait until the wrestling season was over to make a decision about selling the building.
"Our main concern is Havre High School because they don't have a facility," he said.
But a decision in the future could mean that both teams will need a new place to practice.
The board has talked about joining several local groups to build a community center at the Hill County Fairgrounds.
Schaub also said that if the wrestling club sells the building, it may be able to move its practices to a new facility the Montana State University-Northern Lights wrestling team renovated in Morgan Hall. The high school team also would have to find a new home.
Havre High head wrestling coach Scott Filius said he is certain the school district could find a new practice facility for his team if it lost the use of Mat Corner. He said it's been a good location.
"It's been great. It's been an ideal facility for what I use it for," he said.
Filius said the school district has rented the building for the Havre High team during the wrestling season for the past 10 or 11 years.
Northern head wrestling coach David Ray could not be reached for comment.
Schaub said that if the club eliminates the expense of maintaining the building, it could use the money it raises through fees and fund-raisers for additional activities, like attending more meets and taking the wrestlers to training camps.
The wrestling club mostly attends USA Wrestling meets in Montana, although it is also affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union that holds meets in the eastern part of the state.
