The eight condominiums range from about 345 square feet to about 1,150 square feet. They reflect the distinct tastes of their owners, ranging from modern to European.
The units, which have daily, weekly and monthly rates, offer visitors kitchens, high-tech conveniences, reserved parking and other amenities of home. Some have original features and restored terrazzo floors. In others, the owners installed bamboo or French parquet floors.
"We can be the guest house of Missoula," said Karen Marsolek, who owns two sixth-floor lofts with her family.
Barb Neilan, executive director of the Missoula Convention & Visitors Bureau, said extended-stay hotels cater to families, business people and other travelers who want access to kitchens and refrigerators. In fact, several chains are building extended-stay hotels on North Reserve Street, which open later this year.
"As far as I know, we don't have anything like this in the central downtown area," Neilan said.
Some owners hired architects and contractors to help shape their visions, while others read books on designing for small spaces and did most of the work themselves.
At an open house last week, potential renters, Missoula visitors, friends of owners and curiosity seekers toured each condo offered as a vacation rental.
The owners shared tales of lending each other hammers and pitching in to help during construction, which resulted in friendships. Nightly rates vary from $145 to $345, with each condo booked and run by its owner.
And each has its own story.
Marsolek said she and her husband, parents and brother collectively purchased two units after they heard the Rocky Mountain Development Group, which bought the Wilma building in late 2007, was selling the former apartments as condos.
Their 950-square-foot condo is still under construction and will be ready in August, while their 400-square-foot unit already has a long-term renter until October.
Marsolek said she knew from the outset that she wanted the smaller unit to be a tribute to Edna Wilma, namesake of the landmark building.
She convinced the building's owners, Justin Metcalf and Rick Wishcamper, to let her select a crystal chandelier as well as vintage signs during the building's renovation. Red-velvet curtains echo the Wilma theater's original seats.
One day, when she was antique hunting in Stevensville, the shop owner asked if she "was looking for Wilma?"
Marsolek's puzzlement turned to delight when the owner returned with a portrait of Edna Wilma, which she had tucked away.
She gave Marsolek the portrait, which now hangs in the loft.
"It was completely fated that she could come back home," Marsolek said. "I always knew I wanted a Wilma room to pay tribute and honor the space."
She said her family has ties to the theater. She was 8 when she first performed in a musical play on the Wilma's stage - in 1979 with her father and sister. Her husband, Michael, has performed on the stage several times in his world-percussion ensemble, Drum Brothers.
Karen Marsolek jokes that she'll be able to vacation at the loft and escape "all the laundry" at home, while also offering visitors a space that is more than a hotel suite with a kitchenette.
"We wanted someone to be able to stay here for two months and write their novel," she said.
Athena Lonsdale, sitting in some of the original theater seats she refurbished, talks excitedly about the natural light that filters into her unit overlooking North Higgins Avenue.
She felt fortunate that she didn't have to tear down walls or do major work on her
350-square-foot condo. Working on a limited budget, Lonsdale left intact the exposed pipes, original sink and tile floor in the bathroom.
"If there was no reason to change it, I kept it," she said.
As a professional photographer, Lonsdale has decorated the unit with movie reels and projectors.
She said she enjoys watching the sunrises and sunsets through her five windows, with views of North Higgins and Waterworks Hill. Lonsdale. A Missoula resident for six years, Lonsdale jumped at the opportunity to buy a Wilma condo.
"It is too small for me to move into, but if I could afford a whole floor I would totally live here," she said.
She said her bookings for June and July are a mix of former Missoula residents and out-of-towners.
Kathryn MacDonald of San Francisco rented Lonsdale's unit in early June when she was in Missoula on a business trip.
"I really enjoyed it and it was much more unique to staying in a hotel," she said. "There was hardly anyone in the building, so I didn't run into anyone other than the cute construction guys."
Ross Peterson wanted a sleek, modern look for his 400-square-foot condo on the Wilma's top floor, but also wanted to "add some warmth."
So he added wood reclaimed from a train-switching station in Anaconda and from a chicken coop at a 100-year-old house in East Missoula on the windowsills, shelves and as a veneer on a kitchen beam.
Over six months, he also built a tiled bathroom along with its playful skateboard shelf. And he created a Murphy bed hidden behind maple cabinets.
Peterson said he poured over books to help him give an airy feel to the small space, including recesses in the walls. Windows overlook Higgins Avenue as well as the mountains.
"It was a challenge to see how to squeeze everything into a small space," he said. "I did lots of tricks to make the room feel bigger."
With an initial design by Inkstone Architecture, Peterson did most of the work himself, "with lots of help" from friends, he added modestly.
As a third-generation Missoulian, Peterson said he grew up with stories about his mother's schoolteacher who lived in a Wilma apartment.
"When the condos came up, I figured I had to get involved and then sort out the details," Peterson said with a laugh. "There are so many people who're interested in the Wilma."
Peterson said he's rented his condo to three guests since mid-May and has had strong interest for the upcoming months.
"I heard from a number of people that it is hard to find a place to live in Missoula for one or two weeks with a kitchen without committing to a six-month lease," Peterson said. "Here, they can really settle in and unpack their bags."
Interior designer Kim Arnot was asked by the Wilma's owners to help decorate the historic structure more than a year ago.
That's when a seed began to germinate.
Now Arnot, along with husband Kevin and co-owners Larry and Bonnie Flanagan, have purchased two fifth-floor units.
"We decided to do this because we were in love with the building and wanted a longer-term relationship," Arnot said. "The vacation rentals were the vehicle that allowed us to do it."
The west-facing condo, which is rented for six weeks, is about 400 square feet, with French linen bedding and a heated bathroom floor.
"You can make the most of the spaces with an inch here and there," Arnot said.
The larger 700-square-foot condo has south-facing windows with views of the Clark Fork River and Caras Park.
They kept the old wooden door, terrazzo floors and chipped out some plaster to expose brickwork, some with coins stuck into the mortar.
"We bought it sight unseen and on a leap of faith," she said.
Dr. David and Pamela Guth purchased two Wilma condos that they're renting out for vacationers.
They removed the drop ceiling and installed tile over concrete beams in their
345-square-foot unit on the sixth floor. Pamela Guth said she enjoyed the challenges of the smaller unit.
"I was raised in Airstreams, so this feels kind of like going home," she said.
Their 1,150-square-foot unit has 10 windows with views of the mountains, river and people strolling down Higgins Avenue.
The two-bedroom unit has a hammered copper bathtub, extensive tile work and French parquet floors.
Pamela Guth said there is a "great community" in the building.
"What we'll do is rent and share the condos," she said. "We'll make it work for the whole community."
Reporter Pamela J. Podger may be reached at 523-5241 or at pamela.podger@missoulian.com.
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