MISSOULA – Brainstorming, conversations and ideas are flowing through the streets of downtown Missoula as the public — along with design experts — are spending this week contributing to Missoula’s Downtown Master Plan.
The Downtown Missoula Partnership is hoping the community will take part in the Missoula Master Plan Community Kickoff – three days of unlimited suggestions in hopes to continue making downtown a better Missoula hub.
Downtown Missoula Partnership Executive Director Linda McCarthy says 13 consultants from across the county are in town to help the create the plans and she’s encouraging the public to join in on these conversations.
“Anybody can drop in at any time and talk to our team about their goals – what their visions are – what their concerns are!” McCarthy said.
“It’s the place where all of our ideas will intercept into a forward-thinking written plan that we will have a draft of this spring and hopefully look for approval in the Fall,” she added.
Anyone who missed the first meeting on Monday can show up to the Public House on Tuesday and Wednesday to weigh in on the plans.
Planners will take a look at everyone’s ideas and then create a plan which will be presented to the community, along with area agencies.
The plan will also need approval from Missoula City Council, the Missoula Downtown Association, the Downtown Business Improvement District and Missoula Redevelopment Agency.
“If everybody approves it as a plan for downtown then we are all working to implement the same plane which means we can do better together than we can independently on our own,” McCarthy explained.
“That shared vision and overall arching plan that tells us all the direction that we should be going is really helpful to execute those goals,” she concluded.
Officials with the Downtown Missoula Partnership say they have seen successes from the 2009 plan including a new parking garage, growth in housing, improved transit and parking meters.
They hope these new ideas will do the same over the next 10 years.
