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02/13/2026
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
Mayor updates council on several projects tagged for public benefit
Redevelopment of three city-owned properties is set to move forward this year, while plans for other sites, including the former public library, are being sent back to the drawing board, the mayor said this week.
Mayor Andrea Davis Wednesday updated the city council on the City Lands Redevelopment initiative she launched last year and the status of several projects planned for the 45 acres the city identified as unnecessary for future municipal use. Davis outlined how the city is evaluating the properties and considering how the sale, lease or redevelopment of each would most benefit the public.
“The way we think about achieving all the community goals is more of a mosaic approach than thinking about every parcel as one-off decision-making and each parcel trying to achieve numerous city goals at once,” she said.
Last year, the mayor convened an 11-member task force that recommended how the city should proceed with the development of city-owned lands. The sale of two of those 12 properties — the Riverfront Triangle and Midtown Commons — is set to move forward this spring or summer, Davis said.
At the two-acre Riverfront Triangle site on West Front Street, Whitefish-based Averill Hospitality plans to build a hotel and conference center, as well as a public plaza and riverfront trail extension. The city is preparing to close on the sale, approved by the council in July, and the developer is looking to start construction in 2027, Davis said. Along with the public benefit of a new trail and plaza, the project will also contribute $7 million to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund from the sale of the property and Averill Hospitality’s donations, she said.
“We’re really hoping that that will encourage other private developers to do the same,” Davis said. “This is a really great opportunity for us to try something new, get real dollars in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and create more affordable housing opportunities in other places of town.”
Planning for a public park at the Midtown Commons site near the Southgate Mall is underway, and the city plans to reveal the final design Feb. 26, Davis said. Miramonte Companies’ initial concept for the site included a public park, single-family and multifamily housing for rent and purchase and commercial development. If the sale and development agreements are approved by the council, the company plans to build for-sale housing on parts of the property that have already been platted in the near future, Davis said.
The city has begun meeting with a developer interested in building on the North MRL Triangle property, the site of the former Johnson Street emergency homeless shelter the city closed in September, Davis said. In 2023, the council directed city staff to plan for the redevelopment of the site, including the deconstruction of the former shelter by September 2026. Last year, design firm GGLO completed a master plan for the eight-acre site that includes up to 250 rental and for-sale housing units, commercial space and green space.
Davis said the city will reconsider its plans for the old library block at 301 East Main St. later this year, after redevelopment failed to move forward under a previous agreement. In 2023, the city selected deChase Miksis and Edlen and Co. to develop the property, donated to the city in 2019, but that agreement expired in 2025, Davis said. The city “overly prescribed” what it wanted to see on the property, she said.
“They could not deliver on what we asked them to unless we provided substantial public subsidy that didn’t really warrant the public benefit we wanted to see,” Davis said.
The city will also reevaluate its goals for the former Sleepy Inn property at the corner of West Broadway and Russell Street, currently listed for sale at $690,000. The city bought the hotel for $1.1 million in 2020 to serve as a shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Davis said the property is small and partially owned by the Montana Department of Transportation, making development there challenging.
The list of properties considered for sale or redevelopment includes City Hall and the city council chambers, both of which will eventually move to the John Engen Local Government Building. In 2023, the city and county took ownership of the former federal building and plan to move most of their offices there after renovation.
Council Member Mike Nugent said the city council may have to reconsider its rule requiring funds from the land sales not legally obligated for other uses to go to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
“It’s going to be tough for us to find the capital to invest in the Engen Building, that we and our partners at the county all feel could better serve the public, without acknowledging that there could be some of these lands that we need to sell to invest in that,” he said.
Other city council members said they appreciate the mayor’s review of the properties and new strategy.
“I do think for quite a handful of years now the city has tried with some of these properties, and we weren’t getting it over the finish line, and a dormant asset is not helping anybody, frankly,” said Council Member Gwen Jones. “If the old formulas and equations don’t work, and we’re asking for too much, we’re too prescriptive, it is incumbent on us to figure out the next steps forward.”
Public Notice
The Montana Department of Transportation will answer questions and present early designs for the Russell Street corridor project at an open house next week. The project includes reconstructing Russell Street from Dakota Street to Mount Avenue and West Broadway between Mullan Road and Cowper Street to support increased traffic and growth in the area.
Last year, the city received a $59.5 million federal grant to complete the project. The grant accounts for 80% of the project funding, with other federal, state and local contributions making up the approximately $15 million remaining of the $74.4 million total price tag. The first phase of improvements along Russell Street from West Broadway to Dakota Street was completed in 2020.
Design and right-of-way acquisition will continue through 2029, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in the spring of 2029, according to MDT.
The open house runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Salvation Army at 355 S. Russell St. There won’t be a formal presentation. More information about the project is available online.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula County commissioners Thursday approved Grant Creek Crossing Missoula LLC’s request for a $7.9 million tax increment financing reimbursement for infrastructure serving future development on the site. In 2024, the commissioners created a targeted economic development district covering the 84-acre site, a reclaimed gravel pit, south of I-90 and west of Reserve Street. Grant Creek Crossing is requesting that the county commit TIF funds to reimburse the developer for the upfront infrastructure costs. That includes traffic signal and roadway improvements to the intersection of Reserve Street and Schramm Street, extending city sewer and water lines, extending electric and natural gas distribution lines and constructing a road through the site to county standards. The infrastructure would support the first phase of development on 39 acres, including a proposed 200-unit apartment building and potential future housing, mixed-use, commercial or industrial development. The county would not reimburse the developer until the district receives enough tax increment revenue to cover costs. Flanna McLarty, a county land and economic development specialist, said the county estimates the district will generate about $1.2 million annually in tax increment revenue once phase one of the development is completed in about five years. Commissioner Josh Slotnick said the delayed reimbursement decreases the county’s risk if the development doesn’t go forward as planned.
The Missoula police and parks and recreation departments are reminding people to respect seasonal closures on Mount Jumbo after an increase in trespassing. The seasonal closure, from Dec. 1 to March 15 in the south zone and until May 1 for the north zone, is to protect the wintering elk herd and other wildlife. The city is seeing “significant numbers” of people and unleashed dogs trespassing despite closure signs and closed and locked gates, according to a city Facebook post. Despite the lack of snow, the closures remain to prevent the elk from becoming habituated to people and from people and dogs scaring the elk away from their winter range, according to the parks department. Trespassing during wildlife closures may result in citations and fines up to $500. The parks department has installed cameras and is sending reports of documented trespassing to the police department, said Jeff Gicklhorn, the city’s conservation lands program manager. Missoula police officers have asked for help identifying a handful of individuals involved in recent trespassing incidents. Violations can be reported to the Mount Jumbo Tip Line at 406-552-9465. Maps of the closure areas are available online.
The Missoula County commissioners voted Tuesday to remain in a class-action lawsuit against Republic Services, giving up the right to sue the company separately. The lawsuit alleges Republic breached its contract and misrepresented its services by providing three-yard dumpsters that measured less than 2.6 cubic yards. Republic denied the allegations. Missoula District Court Judge Jason Marks granted the lawsuit class-action status on Jan. 14. Multiple county departments, including Larchmont Golf Course, received the notification of the class-action lawsuit, said Vincent Pavlish, deputy county attorney. Pavlish recommended the county remain in the class-action suit because it does not have separate claims to litigate.
At least four Missoula County Public Schools board trustees are set to serve another term after no challengers filed for election. The candidate filing period closed Monday, but those interested can file a declaration to run as a write-in candidate until March 2. Five of the board’s 11 seats are up for election in May 2026, including three seats representing elementary and high school districts, one representing high school district D — Seeley Swan, Potomac, Clinton and Sunset areas — and one representing high school district C, the Hellgate area. Trustee Jeffery Avgeris, first elected in 2020, and trustees Leslie McShane, Denise Juneau and London Meservy, appointed in 2025 and 2026, filed to retain their seats. Lisa Davey, who represents high school district D, didn’t file for reelection. Davey told MTFP she wanted to give other people a chance to run since she was appointed, but no one filed for the seat. Davey said she hopes to be appointed for another year. Following the write-in deadline, the school board will elect trustees by acclamation and declare any vacant seats.
The Missoula County commissioners Thursday adopted the Swan Valley Neighborhood Plan, which outlines a vision for future growth, development, infrastructure and services in the rural area. The plan, an update to a 1996 document, is not regulatory but sets guidance for potential future regulations, said Ian Varley, a county planner. Community objectives in the plan include maintaining the valley’s rural character, protecting the environment and ensuring accessibility to public lands. The plan recommends zoning that restricts certain uses, including large-scale resorts, commercial uses, heavy industry and telecommunication towers taller than 200 feet, Varley said. Some residents raised concerns about adding zoning regulations to the area. Adopting the plan does not create any zoning districts, and any proposed zoning would go through a separate public process, said John Hart, a county civil attorney.
Might be Fun
The Montana Repertory Theatre, in partnership with the University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance, is putting on “Can’t Drink Salt Water,” an original play by Missoula playwright Kendra Mylnechuk Potter, starting this weekend.
The story follows a mother’s relentless search for her missing daughter and the journey of a young woman newly arrived at an evangelical shelter for victims of sex trafficking, weaving together Native identity, maternal grief, contemporary religious faith, humor and a call to action, according to the theater.
The play is supported by a grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. The production includes UM student actors, designers and crew alongside professionals.
“Can’t Drink Salt Water” premieres at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Montana Theatre in the University of Montana’s PARTV Building near the Adams Center. Evening shows continue Feb. 18 through Feb. 22. Matinees are at 2 p.m. Feb. 15, 21 and 22.
Tickets are pick-what-you-pay, through support from NorthWestern Energy, with a suggested price of $35. Free tickets are available to any Indigenous patrons by contacting the box office at 406-243-6809 or [email protected].
An Indigenous art market will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Montana Theatre lobby in tandem with the matinee. The market is free, and attendance to the play is not required but is encouraged.