MISSOULA — The City of Missoula and its partners last week signed the closing documents and transferred ownership on three acres of land that will serve as a community land trust and include 47 permanently affordable homes.
The effort, now years in the making, represents what project backers have described as a “significant milestone.” The North Missoula Community Development Corporation now owns the land while the city's development partner, Ravara, has started construction.
“We are thrilled that this property is now removed from the speculative market and held in trust on behalf of the Missoula community,” said Brittany Palmer, executive director of the NMCDC.
The property represents a small piece of the 19 acres purchased by the city several years ago. Roughly seven acres are earmarked for housing and mixed-use development, with three acres set aside as a community land trust.
That portion of the project will include 47 permanently affordable homes and 42 market-rate homes. The remaining five acres will include market-rate apartments and other amenities including a potential food court, grocery and daycare.
“Northside neighbors organized for decades to ensure that this site would be cleaned up to residential standards, and we are finally starting to see a path toward realizing that vision,” said Palmer. “We are grateful to city leaders who could also imagine this neighborhood vision and who have gathered the right partners to bring it to fruition.”
The project's major development partner, Ravara, has also signed a general contractor agreement with Headwaters Construction of Idaho. The team has been planning the project since 2020 and construction on the housing component has begun.
The Missoula Redevelopment Agency also has helped fund the infrastructure needed to make the project possible.
“There is significant community investment in this development, and putting the property into a community land trust ensures that the investment stays with the project, serving generations of Missoula residents,” said Annie Gorski, deputy director of MRA.
Development of the three-acre land trust will create 89 for-sale condominiums and townhomes, with roughly half of them reserved for income-qualified households earning 120% of area median income, or less than $87,000 for a household of two.
The master plan for the remaining 5 acres calls for a commercial center with 225 rental homes and roughly 35,000 square feet of commercial space. A neighborhood green space is also planned.
“We are thrilled to see the progress of this important project for Missoula and are grateful to this team for making it happen,” Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said in a statement. “The city’s investment in this project illustrates our commitment to ensuring long-term affordable and attainable housing for people working, living and retiring here in Missoula.”
