Some residents remain opposed to Midtown Commons park design

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) Some residents near a $100 million housing and redevelopment project at Midtown Commons remain opposed to the project as presented.

The Missoula Redevelopment Agency last week approved two sales agreements with the developer, Miramonte Companies LLC, along with a development agreement. The latter calls for a 1.6-acre park that includes shade shelters, pollinator habitat, a restroom and water fountain, a playground, a basketball court and a wild upland riparian zone, among other things.

While the property has sat vacant under private ownership since the 1970s, area residents have used it as defacto open space. The 13-acre parcel includes a number of mature trees, an irrigation ditch and user-made trails.

Some residents want to keep it that way, or at least a portion of it. They've expressed frustration with the loss of trees and open space.

“This so-called blighted site has provided the only greenspace we have – all of which will be removed,” said resident Pat Ortmeyer. “Locals have advocated tirelessly over the last year for some meaningful natural park space to be included with this massive development, and to retain some mature cottonwoods that currently provide habitat to deer, owls, songbirds, woodpeckers and more – input that the city has largely ignored.”

Parks and Recreation Director Marina Yoshioka, who formerly worked for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said the park planned at Midtown Commons went through a rigorous public process and meets the city's Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails master plan. The City Council adopted the PROST plan in 2025, establishing a blueprint for future park development through 2040.

Yoshioka said the park design resulted from a public workshop last November, followed by an online public comment period that remained open through December. A draft master plan was prepared based on the feedback, and another public open house was held in February of this year.

A second online comment period also remained open through March. Yoshioka said the resulting plan meets community input and adheres to the PROST plan.

“The plan revisions were complete based upon community feedback,” Yoshioka said. “Some of the things we heard were a strong preference for a park that is natural, flexible and neighborhood oriented. They wanted to see trees, open space, wildlife habitat, and safety in spaces for children and families.”

But some residents remain opposed to the project. They've formed a coalition that has gathered more than 400 signatures expressing concern for the standing cottonwood trees and loss of open space.

“We've got a strong public voice concerned about this,” said resident Carrie Schreiber. “These are our only trees in town. It's our only access to nature. It has been promised to us as proposed open space.”

Yet others who live and work in the area have expressed support for the park plan and the larger development. Project supporter Tim Winger said the private parcel hasn't functioned as safe open space for years.

He cited dumped garbage, drug paraphernalia and other illegal activity.

“These are not abstract concerns,” he said. “The choice before us isn't between development and preservation. It's between unmanaged land that creates safety issues and a planned community-influenced project that addresses them.”