One Step Closer

After years of hard work, Whitehall based Liberty Place Inc. is inching closer to opening their new facility near Belgrade.

The non-profit company that assists people with brain injuries, conducted an open house last week at the "Bootstrap Ranch" property on Dry Creek Road. The property used to host a private high school.

"We have been working on this project for over three years. During that time, there were many ups and downs and it seemed at times that it would never happen, Liberty Place Executive Director Ann Geiger said. "So, to be able to finally show people what we've been up to was exciting and kind of a relief... it's like, 'now this thing is real'."

Geiger expects clients to begin moving in on August 1, and said there are still some final things to be done over the next several weeks. Geiger also had potential clients attend the event and said they were super excited about what they saw, and are now interested in living there. During the open house, Geiger was able to talk with Ted Conover of CTA Architects and Engineering. Geiger said he is one of the people that made it his goal to move out the new location and he yelled enthusiastically, 'I love this place'!

"I turned back to Ted and said 'That was as your paycheck'. Paycheck of the heart," Geiger said.

Prior to beginning work on the new facility, Liberty Place opened the Farmstead location outside of Whitehall in 2004 and the Townhouse location in Whitehall in 2009.

"To know that we can provide the next step in the journey for those working toward independence, and to be able to serve an additional 16 people over all, it so exciting. As one of the founders, it is super rewarding to know that the years leading up to this have been worth it - worth the struggle and worth the commitment," she said.