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8/15/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
Nonprofit Opportunity Resources’ apartments will be affordable, accessible
In about a year, the former site of a wood products business on Third Street in Missoula will include 24 affordable apartments and an art center, the developer said at the project’s groundbreaking on Thursday.
Opportunity Resources, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities, was motivated to pursue a housing project after losing employees who could no longer afford to live in Missoula, CEO Josh Kendrick told Montana Free Press.
“So, us being able to do our small part to help the housing in Missoula, hopefully other organizations like us can also, and together we’ll be able to help make the housing in Missoula a little more affordable,” he said. “But it comes back to our direct support professionals and being able to keep our amazing staff here in Missoula.”
Mike Bouchee, the project’s developer, said Thursday that about four years ago, he met with Kendrick and Opportunity Resource’s former CEO Jack Chambers to first discuss a housing project. They began by finding a buyer for Opportunity Resources’ wood products business to keep those jobs in the community before deconstructing the old buildings on the site at 901 S. Third St. W. to make room for an affordable housing development, he said.
The project, Opportunity Place, includes a three-story apartment building with income-restricted units for households earning between 40% and 80% of the area median income and a two-story commercial building for the nonprofit’s Artists of Opportunity program and studio space.
Eight of the apartments will be specifically designed for adults with disabilities, and the others will be “adaptable,” said Jenn Clary, with Encompass Design, the project’s architect. To make them more accessible, all of the apartments have wide door openings, open floor plans and closets without doors.
The Missoula Housing Authority will manage the apartment complex, and applications will likely open in about eight months, Kendrick said. Anyone with eligible income can apply, not just Opportunity Resources’ clients or staff, he said.
Mayor Andrea Davis praised the project, the city’s second workforce housing project, with the first being the Scott Street-Ravara development on the Northside. The Missoula Redevelopment Agency board in June 2024 approved nearly $2.5 million in tax increment financing for the $10 million Opportunity Resources project, with about $930,000 for demolition and infrastructure and $1.5 million in workforce housing funds to go toward apartment construction. The project also received $6.5 million in housing tax credits from the state.
“For the city, while we continue to work on much larger opportunities and challenges in front of us as we get code reform wrapped up and underway, the private sector can respond to properties like this and bring more mixed-use opportunities to our community,” Davis said. “When we can invest both in the infrastructure and the workforce housing, and just know that this will be affordable for years to come, for generations to come, is very critical.”
While combining the housing project with the arts center made the project more complex, they couldn’t happen without each other, Kendrick said. The new two-story art center will include a pottery studio, a pottery classroom, an art classroom, a gallery space, a retail space, studios for rent and office space.
Mariah Laughlin, the organization’s art director, told MTFP that about 70 people participate in the art program, which has high demand. The center will open up more space for more participants and allow the program to expand art mediums, Laughlin said.
“It’s just something everybody wants to be a part of,” she said. “It’s such a great way for our clients to express themselves. Some people are nonverbal, and this adds a whole other element to being able to communicate. It’s an important part of some people’s lives.”
The program also gives the artists a chance to sell their artwork and receive 100% of the profit, contributing to their income, Laughlin said. The pride from getting a paycheck for something they made has also become important for clients, she said.
Laughlin said with the expansion, she hopes to open up art classes to community members, along with clients. The organization is considering offering discounts to artists who rent the second-floor studios if they teach a class, she said.
“We’re really trying to bridge the gap with the community,” she said. “The world of disabilities can be such a bubble, but it doesn’t have to be. Studies that show that the more broad your community is, the more fulfilling life you have.”
Public Notice
The Missoula Consolidated Planning Board will hold a public hearing on a proposed residential and commercial development at the old Lolo School on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The Belltower Planned Unit Development at 11395 Highway 93 S., includes 56 single-family residential lots, one commercial lot and one large lot with no immediate development plans. The developer, MCG-Vines of California, is proposing dedicating 16.7 of the property’s 33.75 acres as public park land.
Due to current water and sewer limitations, only the 56 homes are planned for immediate construction, according to Missoula County. The commercial lot will be prepared for electricity and internet until water and sewer are available.
The site is not zoned, and the Lolo Regional Plan recommends residential and commercial uses in this location. All but two old school buildings will be demolished. Building 4 will be preserved for future use, and the Old Lolo Schoolhouse will remain protected in its current condition.
The planning board meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Sophie Moiese Room in the Missoula County Courthouse. Members of the public can also join virtually via Microsoft Teams or by phone. The county commissioners will consider the proposal on Thursday, Sept. 11.
Missoula, you showed up — now let’s keep it going
In just one year, Missoula Local reporter Katie Fairbanks has published more than 50 stories reaching over 100,000 readers. It’s clear this community values local journalism that digs deeper. Your engagement, feedback and support have made this work possible.
Now we’re raising $10,000 to keep it going strong into year two. But with $7,600 left to go, we need your help. If Katie’s reporting has informed or inspired you, now is the moment to invest in what comes next.
Verbatim
“Manufacturing jobs give people opportunities to move upward over their lives and careers; losing those is hard on our community. The good news is that we have become much more diverse in the kinds of manufacturing jobs we have in Missoula, and we’re seeing a growth in those jobs and businesses. … From our perspective, this closure is a sad loss, but it’s not a canary in the coal mine or a barometer of the health of the manufacturing sector in Missoula overall.”
—Grant Kier, president and CEO of the Missoula Economic Partnership, told Montana Free Press in a recent interview about the announced closure of the UFP Edge facility in Bonner.
UFP Industries will lay off about 100 employees when it closes the Bonner facility in late September. The facility manufactures siding, trim and other building materials.
The UFP Edge closure is different from last year’s closures of the Pyramid Mountain Lumber mill in Seeley Lake and Roseburg Forest Products facility in Missoula because it is unlikely to have a larger impact on the forestry industry, Kier said. The manufacturing industry in Missoula County is seeing “pretty normal churn” right now, and the UFP Edge buildings in the Bonner Industrial Park will likely fill up quickly, he said.
The most significant local economic effect of the closure is on those employees and their families, Kier said. However, Kier said he is confident in the Montana Department of Labor and Industry programs to support affected workers, and most should find good job opportunities.
Last week, DLI held a “rapid response” event in Missoula to support the affected employees. The department offered assistance with unemployment benefits applications and job search strategies to 75 employees, according to a press release. Local employers, organized labor partners and nonprofits were also present.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula City Council did not pass any of the nine proposed amendments to the 2026 budget considered the last two Wednesdays. After discussion, Mayor Andrea Davis said she would add Council Member Bob Campbell’s proposal to fund a $6,800 digital evidence tool for the Missoula Police Department into the executive budget, not necessitating an amendment. The council rejected Campbell’s amendment to add $25,000 for police training, Council Member Eric Melson’s proposal to add $48,000 for an additional urban forestry worker and Council Member Daniel Carlino’s proposal to increase funding for sidewalks by $214,000.
Proposals to cut the budget also failed, including Council Member Sandra Vasecka’s amendment to use $75,000 set aside for website modernization elsewhere and Campbell’s amendments to defund the Parks and Recreation Department’s community engagement specialist position, the annual contribution for Marshall Mountain maintenance and the municipal court’s baseline budget adjustment. Council Member Kristen Jordan’s proposal to require a separate vote on any program or expenditure of $500,000 or more was held in committee. The council is set to vote on the final budget on Monday.
The Missoula County commissioners on Thursday approved an additional $163,856 in tax increment funding for the Missoula Rural Fire Department’s new ambulance bay. In April, the commissioners approved $282,300 for the project, but construction bids came in higher than anticipated, with the lowest bid at $399,359. The fire department does not have money to cover the gap in funding, and the bay is necessary for ambulance storage and maintenance, which the district already purchased, according to the staff report. Money for the project will come from the Bonner Mill Tax Increment Financing Industrial District. The district will have about $1 million available for other projects, said Flanna McLarty, land and economic development specialist with the county.
The Milltown State Park confluence area east of Missoula closed to vehicles Monday for railroad bridge repairs, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Officials estimate the closure will last through October. BNSF construction work on the bridge located downstream of the park on the Clark Fork River will block access to the main parking lot. Public access to the area will be walk-in only through the overflow parking on Juniper Road. FWP encourages floaters to consider going to a different area during construction, such as the Sha-Ron fishing access site located downstream from the construction area. Upstream on the Blackfoot River, the Weigh Station fishing access site is the last takeout before the construction area, and the Turah site is the last takeout upstream on the Clark Fork. FWP will work with BNSF to assess the need for temporary river closures and will post signs if needed. Closure alerts will be posted online.
Nonprofit Flathead Industries this week opened a thrift store in Missoula, with its proceeds funding local programs and services for people with disabilities. The store is located at 1922 Brooks St., and sells donations of clothing, furniture and household items at an affordable price, according to a press release. Opening the store is the Kalispell-based nonprofit’s first step in its plans to expand supportive services for people with disabilities to Missoula, according to Flathead Industries’ website. All the money spent at the Missoula store will go toward Missoula-based programs. The nonprofit aims to bring employment, supportive living, housing and day programs to Missoula within the next three years, said Alexandra Sheneman, the organization’s associate director of marketing.
The Missoula Food Bank and Community Center is holding a Back to School Bash on Wednesday. Attendees can receive free school supplies, backpacks and gently used clothing. Kids can also get free lunches through the food banks’ summer lunch program. Partner organizations will provide free vision screenings and vaccinations. Those interested in vaccines are asked to bring a photo ID and an insurance card. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the food banks’ EmPower Place at 1720 Wyoming St.
By the Numbers
The sale price for the Oxford Cafe and Saloon in downtown Missoula, according to the listing posted by Jennifer Cooney of PureWest Real Estate. The iconic business at 337 N. Higgins Ave., has been open since 1883, according to the listing. The Ox includes a bar and restaurant, a private poker room, dedicated office space, an unfinished second floor and three basements.
The Ox’s current owner, Bruce Taylor Howe, Jr., told the Missoulian he wants to retire, and it’s been difficult to find employees.
Might be Fun
The Missoula Symphony Orchestra is holding its free Symphony in the Park event at Caras Park on Sunday. The family-friendly concert, led by Julia Tai, the organization’s music director, will include classic waltzes, Broadway numbers and a Beatles medley. The event is also a food drive for the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, and organizers aim to raise 2,000 pounds of food. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bag of nonperishable food to donate at the concert.
At 5 p.m., food trucks open and the food bank collection begins. An “instrument petting zoo” opens at 5:30 p.m., a performance from the Missoula Jazz Collective begins at 6 p.m., and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.
The 19th annual River City Roots Festival will take over downtown Missoula on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22 and 23. The free event, organized by the Downtown Missoula Partnership, includes music on Main Street, an art show, food stalls, a family-friendly event and a four-mile run.
Nearly a dozen bands will perform from 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the two-day festival. The full schedule is available on the event’s website. The food court on Ryman Street will be open from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The art show on Main Street runs from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Registration is open for Run Wild Missoula’s four-mile Roots Run at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The Family Roots Festival at Caras Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday includes a “Double Bubble Dance Party” with DJ