That was the only full response Thursday to the Missoula Redevelopment Agency's call for proposals to develop the land just west of downtown. The two-parcel property - some of the last developable riverfront property in Missoula - sits within Orange Street, Front Street and the northern bank of the Clark Fork River. Thursday was the proposal deadline.
MRA assistant director Chris Behan said Intermountain Management pitched a hotel and “urban mixed-used project” for the site. Intermountain Management is made up of development partners from Missoula and Oregon.
The city had once reserved the property for the Missoula Community Performing Arts Center Inc., which had plans to put up a $60 million cultural center on the river. The nonprofit, however, did not submit a proposal.
The city issued its first call for proposals on Riverfront Triangle property in 1986, but the right project apparently hasn't come along. On Thursday, Mayor John Engen said he does not want to wait another decade for the area to develop.
“I think we have a great piece of real estate that could prove to be a catalyst for the right kind of development downtown,” Engen said. “I do feel some responsibility for making something happen there.”
On Thursday, the MRA also received an offer from the Millsite Revitalization Project. It isn't a new idea, though. Behan also said the letter does not appear to address criteria in the the city's formal request, so a review team may not consider it a full proposal. In the letter, he said the Millsite group offered to swap 1.75 acres of its land at the Old Sawmill District on the south side of the Clark Fork River for both of the city's parcels at the Riverfront Triangle.
The idea to swap land emerged earlier. The city is looking for a place to build new police headquarters because its current space downtown is cramped. Millsite developers said the city could put police in the Sawmill District in exchange for offering them Riverfront Triangle land. But the project landed on the back burner last year in part at the request of county officials also looking to build. So the county and its plans are in the mix, too, and Engen said he needs to continue discussions with people there.
“We still need a facility. Our need hasn't changed,” Engen said. “We also need to have a location opportunity and money.”
At the MRA, Behan said a team will read the proposal and letter to decide next week whether the documents from the developers meet criteria. Then, reviewers will scrutinize the ones that pass muster. During that review, staff and developers tweak any proposal and prepare it for a presentation to the MRA board. The MRA board will make a recommendation to the Missoula City Council.
“There's a lot of reasons to get the right development, the best we can get,” Behan said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com
Arts center group declines to make bid for Triangle
By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian
Among the projects officially proposed to the city Thursday for the so-called Riverfront Triangle, one was conspicuously missing: a performing arts center.
As the city's deadline for proposals from developers came and went, organizers at the Missoula Community Performing Arts Center Inc., said they were not financially prepared to offer a formal proposal for the land at the north end of the Orange Street Bridge.
“The simple answer is, we did not make a proposal on that property,” said Jim Valeo, secretary of the MCPAC, which has long advocated the idea of a 1,600-seat, state-of-the-art performance facility at the site. “Not being in a position to make a bid, we've simply taken position that the need for a performing arts center continues.”
As recently as last May, officials at the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and the city of Missoula - which owns the property - still seemed intent on paving the way for a performing arts center on the site. The MRA's effort to place the parcel in an Urban Renewal District was aimed, in part, at helping ease the financial burden of building an underground parking facility. Mayor John Engen told the Missoulian at the time that several parties that supported the arts center had signaled interest in putting forth proposals for the site.
However, once the official request for proposals went out, no developers stepped forward with a plan that would include a performing arts center.
In December 2006, the MCPAC unveiled an architectural rendering and scale model of their proposed facility, drafted by Seattle firm LMN Architects. With a projected price tag of $60 million and a plan to rely, in part, on a taxpayer-funded school bond for financing, the project was met with skepticism from some in the community, including some members of the Missoula City Council. The council had reserved the land for the group but not as long as MCPAC wanted.
Now, lacking enough major funding to move forward immediately with a plan at the Riverfront Triangle, the MCPAC is waiting to see what the city decides to do with the site, while also eyeing other locations around Missoula.
“That site was not a central component of what we're trying to do,” Valeo said Thursday. “The city clearly was moving in its own direction, and while that's a very attractive site, there is no absolutely essential site for the performing arts center. What's important is that we keep our minds open to new locations.”
Ideas have been floated for a performing arts center near the Missoula Public Library, a site that Valeo noted is attractive because it would situate the cultural center near the Missoula Art Museum and Missoula Children's Theater. Suggestions have also been floated for a performing arts center at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, said Valeo.
“Our focus continues to be to find lead donors who are interested in supporting a performing arts center,” said Valeo. “As to the Riverfront Triangle or other locations, we're watching to see what happens.”
Reporter Joe Nickell can be reached at 523-5358 or at jnickell@missoulian.com
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shameon wrote on Jan 9, 2009 4:44 PM:
" Performing Arts Center ? And who is going to pay for the upkeep of that for perpituity.
One would think that our community above all would have more compassion for the sake of the poor and the homeless in our community then to put 'art' before their well being. What kind of people are we ? When have such a pressing need to help the lesser amoung us and we think about 'us' and pamper ourselves once again with 'art'
The nerve of our mayor to even entertain the idea of an arts center while we have so many of the poor needing the financial help this indulgent project would steal away.
Shame on missoula. "
One would think that our community above all would have more compassion for the sake of the poor and the homeless in our community then to put 'art' before their well being. What kind of people are we ? When have such a pressing need to help the lesser amoung us and we think about 'us' and pamper ourselves once again with 'art'
The nerve of our mayor to even entertain the idea of an arts center while we have so many of the poor needing the financial help this indulgent project would steal away.
Shame on missoula. "
thinkit wrote on Jan 9, 2009 1:23 PM:
With so many local businesses in competition with each other already, particularly in these troubled economic times, why are we promoting another business to come in and place more competition on our already struggling businesses ? Huh ?
Let's just let our exisiting business try to hold their own ground for now and help them, we have a reponsibility to them first.
Why does the answer to local economics always have to be...BUILD BUILD BUILD.... look where that got us, more traffic, more crime, more congestion, more taxes, need I go on.
As usual this project would put alot of $$$ in the few pockets of those that need it least but at the expensive of many more. "