development

Members of the Missoula City Council on Wednesday moved a proposal from committee that would commit the city to begin master planning the Johnson Street shelter property for redevelopment within one year, with a goal to remove the building within three years.

A privately funded workforce housing project plans to break ground in the Old Sawmill District this fall, offering 19 loft studio and one-bedroom apartments.

The new budgets adopted by the city and county of Missoula include funding to begin remediation work on the old federal building, along with money to cover operating costs over the next year.

Changes in state law and Missoula's own effort to reform its zoning and development codes are expected to result in a number of early changes to local regulations that could help expedite the review and development of housing and other projects.

A new tool in state law that defines workforce housing as infrastructure has city leaders eager to implement a pilot program that will direct tax increment toward “bricks and mortar” projects while helping grow the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Council members Mike Nugent, Sandra Vasecka and Kristen Jordan sponsored a proposal that would commit the city to master plan the Johnson Street shelter property within one year and complete the building's demolition within three years.

As planned, Braxton Development will construct 614 housing units and two clubhouses in two phases. Phase I isn't likely to begin until the first quarter of 2025 and the entire project won't be completed until after 2030, the development team has said.

A program looking to create workforce housing in Missoula under new state guidelines is hoping to launch a pilot phase this year, where city officials will test the recommendations against real-world projects and make adjustments down the road.

Citing the need to attract and support businesses and lay the groundwork for workforce housing, Missoula County this week declared an infrastructure deficiency at the Wye, allowing it to create a new Targeted Economic Development District.

City planners and legal officials advised members of the City Council this week that if a development project meets state and local laws around planning, zoning and growth, denying it based on personal opinions would open the city to a lawsuit.