Missoula businessman Scott Cooney wants that tradition to continue.
Stimson Lumber Co. officials said Friday the company plans to sell Cooney 16 acres just south of the baseball field in Bonner. The sale includes the tree-lined boulevard with its row of century-old “company houses,” a post office and credit union building on the east side of Highway 200.
Cooney wants to move as many of those historic homes as possible across the highway onto the 16-acre tract.
His hope is the area will someday be designated as a National Historic District.
The deal includes a 133-acre tract just across the Blackfoot River from the mill site.
“We're ecstatic about being part of the solution of what's happening there,” Cooney said. “It's an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to become involved in a community with so much history.”
Stimson Vice President Jeff Webber lived in one of the company houses for a time. He said Stimson wanted to do the right thing for the community.
“We're in the business of making lumber, but at the same time we were concerned with protecting the character of the community,” Webber said. “It wasn't an easy decision. We're pretty particular with who we work with. We think Cooney is the right guy.”
Bonner School Superintendent Doug Ardiana said the news should put a lot of people at ease.
Many community members were worried the houses would be torn down.
“We're very excited about this news,” said Bonner School Superintendent Doug Ardiana. “This will help preserve the character of our community. ... People will be excited to work with Scott to put this area on the National Historic Registry.”
Ardiana said the fact the homes will be back on the rental market could be a boon to the school district. About 75 percent of the houses are now empty.
“We were down 30 kids at one time,” Ardiana said.
Cooney said he wants the community to help him shape the future of his new landholdings.
“We want the community to be involved,” he said. “I'm encouraging people to get involved with this. ... I have an open-door policy and I'm glad to talk to people personally. My number is in the book.”
Over the next few weeks, Cooney said, his crews will assess the condition of the historic homes on both sides of the road before deciding their next step.
Some of the 16 homes on the west side of the road have been vandalized since the company announced they'd be removed from the site. In some cases, some vintage windows, door knobs and other historic items were taken.
Cooney hoped that people could return some of those items.
“It might make the difference between those homes making the cut when it comes time to decide which ones will be moved,” he said.
Crews will look at the maintenance needs of the homes on the other side of the road. Eventually, Cooney expects those homes to be filled with renters.
“We don't really expect to see any changes in management, except for maintenance,” he said. “I'm hoping that we'll add to the rental pool in the area.”
Cooney said he was also a “big believer” in homeownership and expects to do a residential development on the 133-acre tract on the other side of the river.
“I've been buying real estate since I was 18 years old,” Cooney said. “I'm a big believer in Missoula-area real estate.”
Cooney said he's built residential developments in Huson, Fish Creek, St. Regis and in Missoula's Rattlesnake Valley.
The 46-year-old said he's looking forward to this new project.
“We're honored, by all means, to be neighbors of the people of that community,” Cooney said. “We're looking at the historical aspects. We're looking at helping to stabilize the community.
“If we can add a little bit of fuel to the economic engine, so much the better,” he said.
Cooney said he's talking with Stimson about the other land it owns on the mill site.
Stimson hasn't decided what will happen with the land once occupied by the plywood plant and front log yards, Webber said.
The mill site is about 175 acres. Webber estimates about 60 percent of that was attached to the plywood plant.
“We're still exploring strategies for a higher and better use of that area,” he said. “We don't have any notion of what that will be yet.”
Stimson Lumber closed its plywood operation permanently in July, laying off 133 workers.
The company continues to operate a stud mill and forestry operations, which employee about 120 workers.
Reporter Perry Backus can be reached at 523-5259 or at pbackus@missoulian.com.
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