While the outcome of several bills before the Legislature could help or hinder redevelopment efforts in cities across the state, the City of Missoula and its economic partner are moving forward on several new opportunities.
Among them, the City Council this month will consider a request by Roseburg to annex its 235 acres into the city. At the same time, the Missoula Economic Partnership, along with Roseburg and a diverse team of partners, are exploring the property's needs and redevelopment potential.
In addition, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency plans to lead an update to the area's master plan and adjust the Scott Street Urban Renewal District's boundary lines to include the Roseburg property.
Annie Gorski, deputy director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, said work is moving forward on a variety of fronts. This week, it also won the support of MRA's Board of Commissioners.
“We'll proceed with an update to the master plan in tandem with the urban renewal district boundary,” said Gorski. “That update would look at the infrastructure needed to support future uses on the Roseburg property and new connectivity within the district.”
The master plan for the North Reserve/Scott Street area was completed in 2016 and has served as a guide to redevelopment within the district. Over the past few years, the area's infrastructure has seen significant improvements alongside a number of housing and commercial projects.
When adopted, the master plan recommended protecting the district's urban core, primarily the Roseburg property. If City Council approves annexation later this month, the property could transition to uses not considered in the old master plan and give way to any redevelopment plans.
Julie Lacey, the director of economic development with the Missoula Economic Partnership, said Roseburg approached MEP to explore those future opportunities.
“A representative from Roseburg came to us, really with an intentionality to have a future there that aligns with what Missoula needs,” said Lacey. “We really wanted to make sure we had a good outcome for Missoula and talked to them around the long-term vision, and the goals already in place around street connections, a possible interchange and trails.”
The original Scott Street master plan considered a new I-90 interchange near the Roseburg property. It placed housing at the eastern edge of the district and commercial development on the western edge near Reserve Street.
With Roseburg now a partner and annexation on the table, the district is ripe for an updated vision.
“The city has long had Roseburg and its 235 acres on their eye for annexation. But it takes some planning,” said Lacey. “There's a lot in terms of the future land uses and what coincides with the city's growth policy, and what it would be like in terms of annexation, the expansion of the urban renewal district, and ensuring those timelines are met.”
Lacey said Roseburg has been a supportive partner in the planning, and MEP also has worked with the state job service to help reemploy the plant's 159 workers. So far, she said, 20 have entered new training programs and some have retired.
Roseburg also requested and received a realignment of the properties within the plant's 235 acres. It now includes 13 contiguous tracts. And while a number of structures have already been removed, Lacey said core elements of the plant remain intact.
That could aid in future redevelopment, she said.
“Roseburg removed a lot of the facility but some remains. It allows for commercial use in a more expedited fashion,” said Lacey. “We can't speak to what the future commercial uses look like, but we know with those buildings on site and intact, the ability for someone to walk in there and put it to a new future use can happen much more quickly.”
