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03/27/2026
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
City, housing authority, developer partnering on rental, townhome project
The city, Missoula Housing Authority and a local developer are partnering to build a $67 million affordable housing project on the site of the former Johnson Street homeless shelter.
The project, named Franklin Crossing, is set to include 192 income-restricted apartments in three five-story buildings and 33 market-rate townhomes. The Missoula Housing Authority and United Housing Partners will develop and operate the housing, which may also include some commercial or office space, according to the project proposal.
The apartments will be income-qualified for residents earning 30% to 70% of Missoula’s area median income. That’s about $23,650 to $55,160 for a two-person household. The 40 units for those making 30% of the area median income will be supported with HUD project-based vouchers secured by the housing authority. The sale price of the townhomes will be influenced by future market conditions, but the developers aim to build and sell them affordably, said Tyson O’Connell, founder of United Housing Partners.
“This fits perfectly and Midtown is so excited,” said Melanie Brock, Missoula Midtown Association executive director and Missoula Redevelopment Agency Board member. “In so many ways there have been decades of work leading to today that have made this parcel the dream place for exactly the kind of project that has this blend of rental and homeownership opportunities.”
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency board Tuesday set aside $9.7 million of tax increment financing in its 2027 budget for the project. However, that funding, and the project’s future, is contingent upon receiving state funding and tax credits, said Mayor Andrea Davis during a press conference Tuesday. The City Council would approve the land sale and development agreement if the project moves forward.
Davis said the development team is putting a strong step forward with its competitive proposal for state funding.
“We’ve got quite a journey in front of us, and I don’t think it can be said enough that these projects are complicated,” she said. “Projects take time. We know that time kills deals, and so we have to stay committed on this path to seeing what we want to get accomplished here.”
The city bought the 12-acre property on Johnson Street and North Avenue from Montana Rail Link at a discount in 2017 and developed the southern portion into MRL Park. Environmental remediation to bring the remaining eight acres to residential standards wrapped up in late 2024. Beginning in 2020, the city opened one of the buildings for the Johnson Street emergency homeless shelter. The city closed the shelter in September 2025, and the building’s deconstruction is underway.
The proposed project was largely inspired by a recent master plan for the site and what the neighborhood wants to see built in that location, said Sam Oliver, the Missoula Housing Authority executive director. The five-story buildings are necessary to make the project pan out financially while remaining within the community vision for the property, he said.
Davis said the project also fits within the City Lands Redevelopment initiative’s “mosaic” approach of considering how to redevelop each property to meet different goals and benefit the public.
The city would donate the land for the apartments and sell the land for the townhomes to United Housing Partners at its appraised value.
In April, the developers will apply for a $5 million low-interest loan from the Montana Growth and Opportunity (GO) Housing Program, a new program the Legislature created in 2025, and for $8.5 million in low-income housing tax credits. The GO Housing awards will be announced in June and the tax credit awards in October or November.
O’Connell with United Housing Partners said the project would be delayed at least a year if it doesn’t receive the state funding, and the developers would apply again in 2027. Other funding sources for the project include bank loans or “soft source” loans, he said.
About $2.9 million of the MRA funding would pay for infrastructure and $6.8 million for workforce housing that would fill the “gap” in the overall project funding, said Ellen Buchanan, the MRA director.
If all goes as planned, the developers would break ground on the affordable housing project in summer 2027. Construction of the townhomes would be a couple years down the road after that, O’Connell said.
The project will help provide needed diverse housing for current and future residents, said Grant Kier, CEO of Missoula Economic Partnership.
“What we’re doing now is we’re delivering a mosaic of housing across this town, so that wherever you want to live in town or however you want to live, whether it’s a rental or ownership or stable pricing or a house that you can sell down the road, you have these options now as a person who’s hoping to build a life and career in Missoula,” he said. “That’s a great thing for our community and our workforce.”
Verbatim
“Our daughter clung to hope that he was going to come back home to her. Every chance that they had for that is now gone. She will never be able to see her dad again, hug him or talk to him again, and that every bit of hope she had is shattered forever. He promised her he would come back home by the end of this month. He kept his promise, but instead of coming home alive, he came home in an urn.”
—Cole Salzman, who shares a daughter with Joshua Wykle, told Montana Free Press this week. Wykle was killed in Missoula March 4 in a shooting involving four bail bondsmen from Billings.
Wykle, 41, was frequently homeless in Montana during the last six years and was trying to make it back to Wisconsin, where his daughter lives, Salzman said. Wykle moved to Montana a few years ago after his sister relocated here, she said. He had been trying to break free of drug and alcohol addiction for years, Salzman said.
Two of the four bail bondsmen involved in the shooting were unlicensed, and the other two, who have since been charged with felonies, received their temporary licenses less than a month before the shooting, according to the Montana State Auditor’s Office. As of March 4, the office was already investigating the Billings location of Mr. Bail, the company that employed the bondsmen.
Read more about the investigation and the shooting here.
Public Notice
The city of Missoula is holding an open house next week to present the new master plan for the North Reserve-Scott Street Urban Renewal District.
The plan will be updated to include the 235-acre Roseburg and Story House Montana site, part of which was annexed in January, and reflect current conditions and needs, according to the city. Roseburg intends to request annexation of the remaining property after the new plan is completed.
Consulting firm GGLO will produce an area master plan outlining a vision and approach to guide future growth. The plan will explore transportation, infrastructure, desired site uses and amenities and recommendations for zoning under the city’s new land use plan. The Missoula Redevelopment Agency board approved a $497,300 contract with GGLO in January.
There will be several opportunities for public input on the plan. The first open house is from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at Lowell School, 1215 Phillips St. Child care and a light meal will be provided.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The Missoula County Public Schools board Tuesday approved permissive levy estimates, including a $107,000 decrease for elementary schools and a $424,000 increase for high schools. The final amounts for the non-voted levies will likely change ahead of final approval when the board adopts the budget in August, said Denise Williams, the district’s executive director of business and operations. The permissive levies apply to six district funds, including the transportation, tuition and building reserve funds. The main difference in the elementary and high school estimates is the transportation fund. The district is estimating a decrease in the elementary transportation fund because of savings from operating more of its own bus routes in 2027 and purchasing fewer vehicles than this year, Williams told Montana Free Press. These changes affect elementary transportation more than high school, she said. The owner of a $300,000 home would see a $3.15 annual decrease for the elementary permissive levy, and the high school increase would cost $6.65. Earlier this month, the board approved putting on the May 5 ballot a $1.35 million elementary school operational levy and a $1.13 million high school operational levy.
The Missoula County commissioners Thursday approved using $250,000 of 2014 trail bond funding to help pay for a $1.5 million trail system in Seeley Lake. Scenic Montana Trails is working to build 30 miles of trails just north of the Seeley Creek Nordic Ski Trails on Lolo National Forest land east of Highway 83. The trail system will include traditional single-track trails, multi-use trails and mountain-bike-specific downhill trails to serve a variety of skill levels, according to the funding request. The system is designed to accommodate youth mountain biking events and incorporate accessible trails suitable for adaptive mountain bike users. Cathy Kahnle with Scenic Montana Trails told the commissioners the funding will allow the construction of 18 miles of bike trails, about two-thirds of the project, to be completed in the next 18 months. Kahnle said the trail system is a transformational project for the town and the county. Seeley Lake District Ranger Kevin Doherty said the Forest Service plans to support the project, which is the first phase of ramping up recreation opportunities in Seeley Lake.
The Missoula City Council this week set a public hearing for Mountain Line’s request to annex nearly 20 acres southwest of the Missoula Montana Airport for its new facility. The facility will include space for freight operations, vehicle storage and repair, an electric vehicle charging hub and some office space, said Tara Porcari, a city senior planner. The transit district requested the annexation because facility development wouldn’t have been possible under county zoning, and it would have been annexed anyway for requesting access to city water and sewer, Porcari said. A condition of approval will be for Mountain Line to install street improvements along Whippoorwill Drive, including boulevard landscaping, Porcari said. The proposed zoning upon annexation is Industrial I, which allows a variety of light industrial uses. The public hearing is set for Monday, April 13, during the council’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers at 140 W. Pine St.
On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners opened a public hearing on a new 15 mph speed limit around Potomac Elementary School. The current speed limit is 25 mph, though a 90-degree turn on Potomac Road near the school is marked at 15 mph, according to the county’s public works department. There are minimal signs around the school, which is located east of Missoula off Highway 200. The Potomac School Board requested a permanent 15 mph speed limit on Potomac Loop and Potomac Road around the school, since the playground is used outside of school hours. Superintendent Emily Sallee said students and staff often cross Potomac Road to get to the nearby community center, which is used as the lunch room and gym. Several neighbors said cars often speed through the area and one resident’s car was totaled in a recent crash. The commissioners will hold a second hearing and vote on the request April 23.
Residents looking to be more involved in the community can connect with local organizations during the Mission Match-Up Volunteer Expo on Tuesday. More than 90 nonprofits and civic groups will participate in the speed-dating-style event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Missoula County Fairgrounds’ commercial building. Participants can learn about area organizations and groups and how to get involved. The event is free and includes raffle prizes and refreshments. Food truck Servin Thyme will also be on site.
Happenings
A “No Kings” rally, organized by Missoula Resists, Indivisible Missoula and Stand Up Fight Back, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. Similar events are planned nationwide and across Montana to protest the Trump administration. The Missoula rally begins at the XXXX’s and will travel down Higgins Avenue to Caras Park, where there will be live music, speeches and interactive art.
Local organizations are holding several events for the Transgender Week of Visibility. LGBTQ+ youth and allies are welcome to attend a free screening of “Cowboys,” a film about a fictional trans teen growing up in Montana, at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Roxy Theater. Free drinks and snacks will be provided. Registration is required. On Tuesday, the public is welcome to a free screening of “Changing the Game,” a documentary following three transgender high school athletes, at 7 p.m. at the Roxy Theater. A panel discussion will follow. Seats are limited, and those interested can reserve tickets online. A “Walk and Roll” event at 12:30 p.m. April 4 will celebrate trans people in sports. Those interested can bring bikes, scooters or another game to Montana Rail Link Park. Games and a meal will be provided.