Downtown Missoula Businesses Get Grants During SAM Project

Downtown Missoula businesses facing upcoming street construction will soon have access to new financial support.

And the money is designed to help them through one of the most transformative projects ever to hit the Garden City's downtown.

What is the SAM project?

The city's Downtown SAM project, short for Safety, Access, and Mobility, is being planned to fundamentally reshape how locals navigate downtown.

Backed primarily by a $24-million-dollar federal grant, the multi-year infrastructure overhaul aims to cut down on crashes and improve traffic circulation. Major upgrades include restoring Front and Main streets from one-way routes back into two-way traffic, installing upgraded "smart" traffic signals, reconfiguring Higgins Avenue, and widening sections of Ron’s River Trail.

With design work wrapping up ahead of construction, city planners say the goal is a safer, more walkable downtown corridor for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.

A special plan to help businesses through the disruption

The Missoula Downtown Foundation has launched a Business Support and Resiliency Grant Program, raising over $275,000 to help local shops and restaurants navigate SAM.

Two grant tiers will be offered: Access Adaptation Grants ranging up to $4,000 for operational changes during disruptions, and Visibility Grants up to $3,000 to keep customer foot traffic steady.

Applications open now

Applications open September 1st through November 1st for roughly 300 eligible businesses along Higgins Avenue and Front and Main streets. Grants will be awarded in January ahead of next year's construction work, with a second funding round planned for fall 2027. Details are available online at missouladowntown.com.