Former Shopko site in Helena to become six new stores

The former Shopko in Helena is being converted into six new stores, a redo that could put a long-empty retail site back into regular shopping use by early 2027. Boot Barn and Dunham’s Sports are among the expected tenants, giving the project immediate relevance for shoppers and nearby businesses.

The building has been dark since 2019, and the plan changes it from one large box into six tenant spaces. City documents describe the work as turning a single space into leasable spaces, a sign that the property owners are betting on multiple smaller retailers instead of trying to land one anchor tenant for the whole shell.

For Helena, that matters because a filled former Shopko can do more than replace a vacant storefront. New tenants usually bring steady customer trips, more parking lot traffic and a higher chance that people making one purchase will stop at neighboring businesses. If the mix includes names like Boot Barn and Dunham’s Sports, the site could also change everyday shopping habits by drawing residents to one stop for apparel, sporting goods and related purchases instead of sending them elsewhere in town.

The payoff reaches beyond the storefronts themselves. A reused big-box building can help support nearby property values by cutting vacancy and showing that a commercial corridor still has demand. It can also create a more active edge along the retail strip, which often encourages further reinvestment from landlords watching whether a corridor is gaining or losing momentum.

The City of Helena tracks the project on its Current Projects materials, underscoring that the redevelopment is part of the city’s broader development picture, not just a one-off lease announcement. In a market where a single empty anchor can sit for years, the decision to carve the site into six leasable spaces reflects how retailers and property owners are adapting to the economics of modern shopping in Lewis and Clark County.