PUBLIC MEETING TUESDAY 11/19/19, 6-8pm

LOCATION: Sovereign Hope Church – 1919 North Avenue West Enter Through the Side Door on Johnson Street

To lay the foundation for redevelopment at MRL Triangle, the City of Missoula is applying to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for funding to resolve environmental issues at the site. Known issues include the presence of asbestos-containing materials within structures and surface soil contamination from railroad ties north of MRL Park.

More information on how the City conceptualizes addressing these issues is available in a draft application to EPA for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant and Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) available upon request or for download HERE.

The City invites comments on the draft application and ABCA either during the public meeting or as identified below.

Comments must be received by November 26, 2019, to be incorporated into the EPA application.

For more information, to comment, or to request special accommodations in order to participate contact:
John Adams (406) 552-6397 adamsj@ci.missoula.mt.us

Missoula Midtown Association Members, Stakeholders, Neighbors, and Partners,

We want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to let us know what ideas, suggestions, opportunities, or issues you are experiencing in Midtown.

Your input and voice are valued by the Board of Directors and will help us shape the direction and focus of the association for the coming year during our upcoming strategic planning session.

We invite you to provide feedback through the newly developed engagement survey that can be found on the MMA website by clicking HERE.

Thank you!
Sincerely, Mark Bellon, Missoula Midtown Association President

The City of Missoula, Mountain Line, and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA) are working together to prepare an application for a large planning grant from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA). If received, the grant will be used to establish a policy framework for promoting transit-oriented development (TOD) along Brooks Street, identify strategic opportunities and priorities for TOD around transit stop locations, and plan for affordable housing in Midtown.

The Missoula Midtown Association supports the efforts being put towards securing this grant. The Brooks Street corridor and slant-street traffic patterns pose significant challenges to future development within the Midtown region. This study could advance planning around Brooks Street, thereby, advancing our mission in promoting healthy business, quality of place, and quality of life for Midtowners and the community. We also believe this could be a catalyst for developing an overall Master Plan for the Missoula Midtown.

Our Board of Directors is working to prepare a letter of support for the grant application. Members who are interested in becoming involved or seeking ways to provide additional support of the grant application, click HERE to let us know.

The grant application is due November 18, and results will be announced in the spring of 2020.

First Interstate, a community bank with $14 billion in assets, delivers best-in-class banking and Wealth Management services throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Across more than 150 locations, First Interstate offers convenient, modern banking and customer-first service to the communities it serves.

It all began when First Interstate founder, Homer Scott, Sr., purchased Bank of Commerce in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1968. He envisioned a bank with roots that grow deep in the community, with a commitment to taking the best possible care of clients, employees, and the places we call home.

For more than 50 years, First Interstate has adhered to those guiding principles. In addition to a commitment to Missoula and all of our communities, the company values are centered on putting people first, striving for excellence, acting with integrity, and embracing change.

And they remain devoted to the intelligent, professional, and diligent movement and management of money — answering the real-world needs of residents and businesses with practical ways to improve their financial well-being.

A trip down the Brooks Street corridor certainly has a different look to it in 2019 compared to recent years. Even if you have yet to catch a show at the AMC dine-in theater, grab a slice of pizza at the new Bridge location, or enjoy a beverage at The Dram Shop Central, it’s easy to see all the fresh amenities popping up in our area. With further development already underway and additional projects anticipated in the coming months, it’s evident that the allure of Midtown is growing for businesses, employees, residents, and visitors in and around Missoula.

Another addition nearing completion is the three-story Stockman Bank building, which will open its third Missoula location next week at 3615 Brooks Street. Grand-opening activities are planned throughout the week, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, October 2, at 4pm with refreshments and hors d’ oeuvres following until 7pm.

Just behind that new bank location, Envision Commercial Construction is set to break ground on a three-story executive office building with commercial condos at 2315 McDonald Ave. The opening is planned for the summer of 2020, and over half of the space is already under contract.

These new office structures on a prime corner of Brooks Street will be a nice welcome for folks coming into town from the Bitterroot Valley; and, along with other destined developments to come, should continue to enhance Midtown’s appeal as an attractive destination for many years into our community’s future.

NorthWestern Energy has provided reliable and affordable energy to customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska for more than 100 years, and today serves more than 726,400 residential and business customers. The company got its start in small communities, providing essential service that allowed them to grow and prosper. With roots in the Montana Power Co. and South Dakota-based Northwestern Public Service Co., NorthWestern Energy took its current form in 2002 when the company bought the Montana Power electric and natural gas transmission and distribution system and became a partial owner of Colstrip Unit 4.

NorthWestern Energy gives back to our communities. About 80 percent of the company’s 1,220 Montana employees regularly volunteer with non-profit organizations, and the company supports this dedication through additional charitable contributions. In 2018, NorthWestern Energy donated over $1.7 million to non-profits in the communities served.

NorthWestern Energy and partners Missoula County Public Schools and the City of Missoula built solar installations at Hellgate, Sentinel, Big Sky and Willard high schools. The $1 million pilot project, funded and maintained by NorthWestern Energy, is part of large-scale studies around creating renewable energy solutions that can meet the demands of the regional energy grid. The project focuses on urban solar installations and education. MCPS students and teachers have hands-on learning experiences that will prepare students for jobs and help ensure a sustainable future. With data made available through a website hosted by NorthWestern Energy (nwesolar.com), Science, Math, and CTE teachers have written curriculum around analyzing the data and learning about solar energy for use in high school classrooms. Now that’s Delivering a Bright Future!

Join us in Midtown Missoula on Tuesday, October 1st for our Midtown Mixer hosted by Spartans Vehicle Repair and Tuning and Farmers State Bank from 5-7pm. Enjoy appetizers, ice-cold drinks, networking, and the opportunity to help shape the future of Midtown Missoula by sharing your thoughts and ideas on activities and development in the area. Spartans Vehicle Repair and Tuning is located at 2420 Benton Avenue. Make sure you bring your business card so you can enter for a chance to win great prizes from our sponsors.

Spartans Vehicle Repair and Tuning provides bumper to bumper service on all makes & models, delivering parts and service you can rely on. Find out more by visiting their website HERE.

Farmers State Bank has been a locally owned community bank since 1907. With 7 branches from Darby to Missoula and an all-new location in Helena, they have faithfully serviced its communities with their financial needs for 110 years and continually strives to offer innovative products, superior service, and knowledge, all with a small-town feel. Farmers State Bank is a 4th generation (5th generation growing!), locally-owned, all Montana bank. Learn more by visiting their website HERE.

There is a lot of great activity taking place in Midtown Missoula right now, and the timing for coming together to enhance this area of our community for businesses and residents alike has never been better.

Thank you to everyone who has committed to helping accomplish this mission by becoming members of the organization. Over the last month we welcomed the following businesses to the Missoula Midtown Association membership:

CASA of Missoula
The Dram Shop Central
Jolynn McDermott, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices of MT
Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce
Missoula Family YMCA
Spartans Tuning
Zootown Sports Cards

Farmers State Bank is one of Montana’s oldest independently owned and operated banks, opening in Victor in 1907. The bank has grown and expanded over the years to meet the needs of customers all over western Montana. Today there are full-service branches serving the communities of Darby, Hamilton, Victor, Stevensville, Florence, Lolo, Missoula, Helena and Kalispell.

Missoula customers also enjoy the convenience of having a dedicated Lending Office in the midtown area located at 1750 Brooks, #B. Sandy Bollom, VP/Commercial Lender; Jared Darnell, Commercial Lender and Nicole Dix, Mortgage Lender are available at this location by appointment to discuss customers’ banking/lending needs. Both Sandy Bollom and Jared Darnell are active members of the Missoula Midtown Association and Farmers State Bank will co-sponsor the Midtown Mixer in October.

One of Farmers State Bank’s most enduring commitments to the communities they serve is through scholarships. Since 2001, Farmers State Bank has awarded over one million dollars in scholarships benefitting 142 students all over western Montana.

While the Bank continues to grow and expand, Farmers State Bank is firmly committed to keeping the community bank feel and atmosphere across all locations. They continue to invest in technology that allows Bank employees to free up time in order to work directly with customers.

Learn more at www.farmersebank.com.

Looking back at our organization’s history, I am incredibly proud of the progress made to date and everything that we have accomplished up to this point. I am even more excited about the vision for the future and the untapped potential this group has to make a positive impact on our community. As membership continues to grow, we need to remain focused on fulfilling our mission that is to enhance the quality of life and quality of place for businesses, residents, and visitors in Midtown. To achieve this goal, we need a strong and united voice to represent the issues and opportunities we face. This unified and representative voice will be most effective and inspire results as more people contribute to the ideas formulated and solutions developed. That’s why we want to hear from you, our members!

Please share with us your ideas, suggestions, opportunities, issues, concerns or anything that impacts Midtown in any of the following ways:

• Fill Out the Membership Engagement Survey and send it to us
• Submit Feedback through our Website HERE
• Email Us directly by clicking HERE
• Provide Input at a Midtown Mixer – speak with a member of our board of directors or submit an idea onto our Mission Board

We appreciate and value your feedback and contributions to the health and vitality of Midtown Missoula. Thank you for your time and participation!

Mark Bellon, P.E., COO | Territorial Landworks, Inc.President, Missoula Midtown Association Board of Directors

Territorial Landworks, Inc. (TLI) is a Montana-based civil engineering, land surveying, and land-use consulting company founded by local entrepreneurs in 2007. The firm specializes in public and private sector land use and community development projects such as the new Kettlehouse Bonner Brewing facility and Amphitheater, Downtown Missoula Master Plan, public infrastructure projects with the City of Missoula and Missoula Water, and several subdivision projects. TLI delivers value to clients while maintaining a professional client-focused approach on all projects.

‘Partnering to Build Better Communities’ is the tagline the firm lives out by giving back to the Missoula, Billings, and Kalispell communities where their three offices are located. This is done through professional services provided that increase public health and safety, community sponsorships that enable non-profits and associations to carry out their civic missions, and participation on boards and committees that support development and advancement of vibrant communities. In the fall of 2018, TLI was the recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award for their dedication and participation in the community, presented by the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce.

In 2013 TLI partnered with the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and utilized URD III Facade Improvement Program assistance to complete the renovation project that included interior and exterior upgrades to their corporate office located in Midtown Missoula. This reinvestment is now home to two thriving businesses; TLI and Keller Williams Realty.

Territorial-Landworks, Inc. has been instrumental in the revitalization of the Missoula Midtown Association. Mark Bellon, COO for the firm, is the President of the Association and Tyrell McPherson, Business Support Specialist for the firm, is the Secretary.

Chef Abe Risho has joined the team at Rumour as their new Executive Chef. Risho is new to Rumour, but definitely not new to Missoula. He grew up learning the love of food from his father, whose 45-year career as a chef focused on the anthropological study of world cuisine, and has utilized this skill to create culinary enjoyment for Missoulians for many years at Perugia and The Silk Road.

Along with his arrival, Rumour has implemented a number of exciting changes and new recipes for guests to enjoy. Chef Risho is all about fresh, local and sustainable foods where the dish is just as beautiful as it is delicious.

Rumour is open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30am-4pm, dinner daily 4pm-close, and brunch on Saturday & Sunday from 9:30am-2pm.

The dog days of summer are upon us, and with the sultry weather comes the sweet smell of popcorn and funnel cakes wafting through the air, the flavor of juicy Vikings and fruity snow cones, music playing, children laughing, and all the sights and sounds of the annual Western Montana Fair! Join in on all the fun and festivities August 7-11 at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.

For the third year in a row, the Fair will be Free Admission to keep it easily available to all, and accessibility is expanding this year with free-to-attend arena events each day in addition to countless additional free and affordable activities for all ages throughout the week.

New this year is the “Green Thumbs and Pie Crumbs!” theme to promote a commitment to sustainable practices and reduction in waste material. The Western Montana Fair is proudly joining Missoula’s ZERO by FIFTY initiative, which aims to reduce 90% of the material we send to the landfill by 2050. Look for the “Green Thumb” logo and be sure to utilize stations around the venue for all recyclable/compostable serving materials, which vendors will be using this year more than ever!

Also new – or rather, “renewed” – this year will be the renovated Commercial and Culinary Buildings. Through thoughtful planning and massive efforts over recent years, structural improvements such as an elevator, restrooms, ventilation, windows, lighting, roofs, doors, siding, and floors will make these spaces useful for another 100 years. The MADE Fair Marketplace returns to the remodeled Commercial Building in 2019, with over 100 local artists and opportunities to support local nonprofits.

Come help support our eclectic community and enjoy delicious food, impressive exhibits, thrilling events, and all the exuberant fanfare that the Western Montana Fair has to offer at one of Midtown Missoula’s signature events of the summer!

The Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA), Montana Rail Link and Missoula Parks & Rec celebrated the official opening of the Montana Rail Link Park in Midtown Missoula on Thursday, July 11th.

The new 4-acre park includes open green space, playground, community garden, dog park, multi-use playing court, and a small pavilion for all to enjoy, conveniently located between North and South Avenue, Johnson Street, and the Bitterroot Rail line.

For additional information or to read the Dog Park rules, click HERE.

Transportation around Midtown can be easier than you imagine, and your short wait is becoming more stylish.

With over half of Mountain Line’s routes crossing Midtown and converging at Southgate Mall, Midtown hosts the second-busiest stop in the transit system. You can get anywhere in Missoula starting in Midtown; but why leave when everything you like is right here?

MUTD has begun seeding Midtown with its stylish, new bus stops. You can see them at MRL Park, 39th Street near Reserve, and at Trempers Shopping Center on Brooks Street.

First Security Bank first opened its doors in downtown Missoula in 1972. Quickly growing to a family of seven full-service branch locations, they also established full-service locations in the nearby communities of Corvallis, Hamilton, Plains, Thompson Falls and most recently, Stevensville.

To further serve the Missoula community, they offer five convenient ATM locations at both Missoula Fresh Market locations, Noon’s Convenience Store, Pattee Creek Market, and Rosauer’s Supermarket.

First Security Bank offers a full range of banking products and services providing individuals and businesses with the help necessary to achieve their financial goals, today and throughout their lives.

They operate their own management teams in the towns they know well because they live here too! The team at First Security Bank values being an integral part of the many communities served and are proud to serve friends, neighbors, and local businesses not only with superior banking products and services but with considerable investments of their own time and effort to help non-profit and community organizations. In fact, they support more than 400 local community organizations every year.

In 1996 First Security Bank joined the Glacier Family of Banks, owned by Kalispell, Montana-based Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (GBCI). Glacier Bank is a regional bank providing world-class financial services to individuals and businesses throughout the Western United States. This has enabled First Security Bank to serve the local communities with the same unique personal attention and friendly service that customers have come to expect, with the added resources of a much larger banking family. First Security Bank proudly serves the communities of Missoula, Hamilton, Corvallis, Stevensville, Lolo, Thompson Falls and Plains, Montana.

As President of the Midtown Association, I value the opportunity to champion our mission to promote healthy business, quality of life, and quality of place in Missoula. I believe our efforts today will result in measurable successes afforded to the next generation of Midtowners that live, work and play in this community; that is the prism that is looked through when we engage as an association to influence plans and policies shaping the future of the Midtown district. Providing opportunities for the next generation is at the core of our mission, and our hope is that the work we do will result in the opportunity for those raised in Missoula to remain here and obtain gainful employment with the ability to raise their families in one of the greatest cities on earth.

To be an effective organization and advocate for solutions that impact Midtown Missoula and our community at large, we need a strong voice. That strong voice comes from a robust and engaged membership of businesses and residents alike. We have intentionally positioned our organization to grow and represent this voice through established working committees, signature events, membership recruitment, and community engagement. We currently have 50 members consisting of residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations, and our numbers are growing.

We believe there is intrinsic value to becoming a member of the Missoula Midtown Association, including community promotion, news and information updates, networking and camaraderie, and effective advocacy, all focused squarely on enhancing the livability of the Midtown district.

If you are currently a member of the Missoula Midtown Association, thank you for your support and engagement. If you are not a member and would like to become engaged, check out our website and join us for our monthly Midtown Mixer to see what we are all about. Our next Midtown Mixer will be at OnX Hunt located at 1926 Brooks Street.

Mark Bellon, P.E.
President, Missoula Midtown Association
President/COO, Territorial-Landworks, Inc.

The Tremper family has recently announced the renovation of their newly acquired 1200-1210 Kent Ave. property, located across the street on the North end of the Tremper Shopping Center. After many years of deferred maintenance, it was time to bring this property up to Midtown Missoula’s new standards.

The redevelopment project will provide 21,191 square feet of updated space including a second story at 1210 Kent Ave. Additional parking will be created with the removal of the Grimebuster’s building. All retail and office spaces will have storefront access creating bright, usable spaces.

As you can see from the architectural rendering below, this 1980’s strip mall will be transformed into an exciting new contemporary plaza. The new design will significantly change the streetscape, upgrade the pedestrian experience, and dramatically change the Brooks Street corridor look and appeal.

Tremper Shopping Center, Missoula’s First Shopping Center, was opened in 1958. They are a third-generation corporation with Montana roots that run deep. After Tremper Shopping Center renovations were complete, they were excited to continue revitalizing Missoula’s adjoining areas.

Inside deconstruction is underway and in the coming year, there will be exciting new changes visible from the exterior as well.

For leasing inquiries, contact Paul Burrows at Professional Property Management, 406-721-8990.

Community FirstCare in Missoula is changing the way patients access non-emergency medical care. They provide easily accessible online check-in and a wide-range of walk-in care services such as treatment of sprains & strains, cold & flu, vaccinations, and sports physicals. Designed to get patients in, get them treated and on with their day with little to no wait time.

“People are busy and have become comfortable scheduling everything from their restaurant reservations to hair appointments online – why should medical appointments be any different,” said Apryle Pickering, Director of Community FirstCare. “Our goal is to have an empty waiting room, where patients no longer need to sit and wait to be seen.”

For follow-up care, they are affiliated with Missoula’s premier health system, Community Medical Center. Insurance is accepted and affordable self-pay rates are available. Located downtown and Midtown Missoula in the Trempers Shopping Center.

Alphagraphics started in 1965 as Gateway Printing and is now located on South Avenue with a satellite location on campus in the University Center, which is also open to the public. Their mission is to meet the needs of their customers as they see them by offering products and services that they consider the best value in a way that demonstrates sales professionalism, customer service excellence, and operating effectiveness. They aim to make their customers consistently satisfied, to ensure that planned outcomes are met and that the team is proud of their accomplishments. Alphagraphics specializes in all forms of visual communications. The company started in the staple business of commercial printing and has evolved into large format, vehicle wraps, promotional products, digital production and mailing services. They offer full-service design, web design, and support.

Alphagraphics is people-oriented and their professional staff makes the difference. They take pride in people being able to come into their facility to touch, feel and work face-to-face in an environment that provides excellent customer service.

Alphagraphics is a family-owned business that is currently developing its third generation of family ownership. They have 32 full-time employees in Missoula and they are also part of a global franchise group. The Missoula team received the company’s highest honor with the 2018 Franny Award, for the most outstanding franchisee in recognition of being the best-run business in all areas and a tribute to a proven record of contribution to peers and the entire Alphagraphics Network.

The Missoula Midtown Association (MMA) has been in a ‘build-the-core’ mode in recent years since (re)formation in 2015 and has now begun ramping up efforts to increase membership. People often ask why they ought to join, and I believe that at the end of the day – regardless of personal background or line of work – we’re all really looking for the same things: we want connection, we want a sense of purpose, and we seek growth. To me, getting involved in organizations like the MMA is an ideal way to fulfill each of those human needs and desires.

Our monthly social events provide an inclusive opportunity to engage with one another in a casual environment perfect for forming new friendships and perhaps even business partnerships.

Members are encouraged to contribute opinions on the issues facing our districts or simply offer ideas for improvement. Our collective voice can make an impact; and, the more of us willing to participate in those discussions, the more likely we are to inspire change that genuinely represents the interests of the folks in Midtown.

Finally, when we join together to share ideas and resolve issues, we will foster improvements to help build a real sense of place for Midtown and create a quality experience, not only for this current generation but also for the neighborhoods, residents, employees, and visitors in this area for decades to come.

Thank you for being a member of the Missoula Midtown Association and for your commitment to the vitality of our community!

by Tyrell McPherson
Secretary, Missoula Midtown Association
Business Support Specialist, Territorial-Landworks, Inc.

The Missoula Midtown Association is looking for a Membership Assistant to add to our team! Please read the attached job posting and email with any questions or send your resume to: midtownmslajobs@gmail.com.

https://www.facebook.com/events/611227985919395/

Looking for something fun to do in Midtown Missoula on Thursday, June 21st? Join the Missoula Midtown Association for our Third Thirsty Thursday on the rooftop of onXmaps located at 1920 Brooks Street from 5-6:30 pm. Come to enjoy appetizers, drinks, and networking with other people in the area.

If you’ve been thinking about joining the Midtown Association, now is a great time to come and engage with this exciting and rapidly growing group!

The Missoula Midtown Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, enhancement, & accessibility of the midtown area as it relates to businesses, residents & the community. Its goals are to provide resources & information related to the success and growth of a healthy business community & to enhance the quality of life and quality of place for visitors & residents alike.

We hope to see you there!

After months of consideration, Missoula County Commissioners on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution stating their intent to create a special improvement district for the county fairgrounds.

The move will enable the county to bond around $19 million in improvements and pay it back over a 20-year period using funding generated from three mills levied by commissioners during last year’s budgeting process.

Those three mills will be combined with an existing, ongoing half mill allocated to the county Weed District and an existing, ongoing half mill for the county extension office.

“This ongoing millage will be used to to pay the cost of the special district,” said Emily Brock Bentley, director of the fairgrounds. “These mills are already on the tax bills of Missoula County residents. No additional tax increase is associated with the creation of this special district today.”

The county levied the three mills to the fairgrounds last year, generating roughly $650,000 per year. By creating the district, the fairgrounds can launch most of the improvements planned in Phase 1 at one time and avoid spreading the work out over 20 years.

But even with the special district, Phase 1 still has an estimated $4 million funding gap. The new special district will cover $1.4 million in utility work and several million dollars to renovate old buildings. Around $640,000 is dedicated to building a maintenance shop, $1.1 million for new concessions, and $1.4 million for site grading in preparation for future projects.

The funding does not include a new ice facility, rodeo arena, events center or livestock arena. Those projects are slated for future phases and will require deep contributions from user groups.

Bentley said the county is hoping the city will contribute to other Phase 1 funding gaps, including perimeter landscaping, entrance improvements and trails.

“This doesn’t build a new rodeo arena,” Bentley said. “It doesn’t build a new livestock center or new ice rinks. What it does do is take care of what we have.”

While the county contends that the special improvement district comes with no tax increase, several residents at Thursday’s meeting said that was misleading. The county did, in fact, levy three mills last year to pay for the improvements.

That tax increase appeared on property bills this year. In all, the three mills levied by commissioners last year cost taxpayers an average of $10.15 annually. In all, the average taxpayer is paying around $13.50 a year for fairgrounds redevelopment.

“You have a special district that has non-taxable property in it that’s going to be assessed by the state, I guess, as a courtesy, as if it were private property,” said one man who identified himself as Rocky. “You’ll get a valuation and you, the commissioners, will assess yourselves the property that you own – the sole property in that district – and you’ll derive some sort of a payment from it.

“The point is, the argument is being made that we won’t see a tax increase,” he added. “We already have a tax increase for this fair proposal, it just didn’t happen in the context of the special district.”

Others suggested any future increase in levies should go to a popular vote, though commissioners noted that state law allows them to levy mills under a regulated cap without a public vote. Rather, they said, the public vote occurs each November at the polls.

Commissioner Cola Rowley agreed that government financing can be complicated and often misunderstood, though she stood by the project, calling it the most appropriate and transparent way to tackle long-needed renovations at the fairgrounds.

Advocates say the special improvement district will enable taxpayers to look at the county budget, see the amounts being assessed and the funding allocated to each particular project within the fairgrounds district.

“It’s unfortunate that government budgeting and financing is so complicated,” Rowley said. “This is the simplest and most elegant solution, and I think it’s really creative. It’s allowing us to do amazing things.”

While some suggested the county was playing a shell-game with the tax-no-tax approach to the improvements, most in attendance Thursday praised the special improvement district and the planned upgrades, calling them long overdue.

Supporters included nearby residents and members of the Missoula Midtown Association.

“We want to see some activity out here, some construction,” said Mark Bellon, president of the association. “As an organization, we see tremendous economic benefit. There’s a lot of synergy going on throughout the district.”

The fairgrounds has sat in a state of disrepair for years, though under Bentley’s direction, it has begun to show signs of life. Fair attendance increased last year after admission was waved, and efforts to cater to a wider, more diverse audience is taking shape.

While plans for the property have been years in the making, they’re expected to make their public unveiling in the coming weeks. Ground breaking is expected this spring, Bentley said.

“Next month, we’ll release design guidelines with a schematic plan,” Bentley said. “Rather than spend the mills as cash one year at a time, it’s most cost effective to finance or borrow for redevelopment and construct as much as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Missoula: a place like no other

Nestled in the Missoula Valley, framed by mountain ranges and nourished by three rivers, the City enjoys a unique setting with a distinctive sense of place. Its eclectic character and quality of life are valued by all. Much of the built environment also is distinctly Missoula. Many buildings speak of the City’s roots and its role as an early commercial center. These reflect use of regional materials and practical ways of building. Residents describe the built environment of Missoula as eclectic and low-key. And they note it is a collection of neighborhoods, each with its own special identity. These are aspects that the community values and seeks to retain. While much of Missoula exhibits these features, some buildings have appeared over the years that are less distinctive and bear less resemblance to the character of Missoula. These design guidelines are intended to promote design that is compatible with the City’s design traditions.

Read the entire Design Excellence Manual by clicking HERE.

Missoula Midtown presents

The Missoula Midtown Melt-Off

Come celebrate summer at The Fairground’s Outdoor Ice Rink
Friday, June 16th from 5-10pm

This is a family friendly event featuring excellent live music and a full brewfest with tons of elbow room!

Download and read the full Brooks Corridor plan by clicking below. There are many changes slated for the Brooks Street Corridor and this report highlights all plans and reviews of the corridor.

Read a new article about the Brooks Street Corridor.

A very interesting notice from the Missoula County Zoning Amendments team…

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As you may have heard, Missoula County is updating its zoning regulations. While land use policy can be tedious in its details, it’s also an essential tool for developing the kind of community we all want to live in. That’s why we hope you will attend one of the upcoming forums where CAPS’ staff will walk through the proposed changes and answer any questions you may have.

We have two tracks of meetings for audiences with different levels of familiarity with zoning regulations. Each forum will feature a short staff presentation about the changes and a follow up Q&A and discussion, with the Tuesday meetings involving a longer presentation with more detail for professionals who interact regularly with land use regulations, such as architects, surveyors, and engineers.

Here are the details and audiences we hope to reach at each meeting.
All forums are open to anyone who is interested in learning more.

When

For architects, engineers, and surveyors:

• Tuesday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m. to Noon
• Tuesday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m. to Noon

For the building industry, developers, and contractors:

• Thursday, Jan. 12, 3 – 4 p.m.

For Missoula County Community Council members:

• Thursday, Jan. 19, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

For the Open Lands Committee, Planning Board and Board of Adjustment members, and interested community members:

• Thursday, Jan. 26, 3 – 4 p.m.

All meetings will be held in the Missoula County Courthouse, Room #151 (the County Commissioners’ Public Meeting Room), 200 W. Broadway, and refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to jdixon@missoulacounty.us

At each forum, participants will have the opportunity to formally comment on the proposed changes ahead of the public hearing in mid-February at the Planning Board, after which the proposed regulations will go to the Board of County Commissioners (anticipated mid-March).

We encourage you to join in this important discussion and spread the word to any interested colleagues. Your participation will help make the zoning update successful and better understood by the general public and those interested in land use, quality of life, and economic development in Missoula County.

Our apologies in advance if you are receiving this message more than once. We are reaching out far and wide and may have your email contact information duplicated in our address books. Please let us know if you would like to be removed from our mailing list.

Best Regards,
Jennie Dixon, Planner IV, AICP (406-258-4946)
Jamie Erbacher, Planner III, CFM (406-258-4653)
Your County Zoning Amendments Team

Missoula County Community and Planning Services
323 W. Alder
Missoula, MT 59802

Overview

Woodbury Corporation has purchased a property in Urban Renewal District III located at 1515 Dearborn Avenue, which is bounded by Russell and Washburn Streets and Dearborn and Fairview Avenues. The property currently contains the former Five Valley’s Bowling Center / Lucky Strike casino and a former car wash. The casino/bowling alley closed in early 2016. The car wash closed a few years ago.

At its July 21, 2016 meeting the MRA Board approved a request from the developer to proceed without prejudice with building deconstruction and site demolition.

Project Description

The developer is proposing to deconstruct the 30,000 sf bowling center and 2,200 sf carwash and build an approximately 12,000 sf tire store and two 9,500 sf restaurant pads, with an associated 152-space parking lot. The proposed site design also includes curb, sidewalk and landscape improvements in the public right-of-way, including 29 new street trees at the perimeter of the site.

The tire store will be a Les Schwab franchise that will move from its current location on Brooks Street to this site. The developer is proposing to locate the new Les Schwab on the eastern side of the site with the eight service bays facing the interior of the site and the rear façade of the building on Russell Street. A glass-walled show room is located at the north end, at the corner of Russell Street and Dearborn Avenue. This orientation focuses the building activity to the interior of the site and presents a large expanse of unanimated block wall along Russell Street.

To break up the extent of the rear façade along Russell Street, the developer is proposing a series of architectural elements including shallow “columns” and a decorative metal trellis and several panels of decorative screen mesh. A planting bed between the sidewalk and the building will provide some buffering.

The developer is anticipating that the two building sites on the west end of the site will attract restaurant tenants, although tenants have not yet been confirmed. The applicant has included a list of potential tenants that includes Kneaders, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Wild Ginger and Corner Bakery, among others.