How a Missoula Development Project Slimmed Down

Missoula Developer Cole Bergquist says the newly announced "Higgins Waterfront" project in Missoula will feature a new, lower-profile design he hopes will meet community concerns over the original, 11-story designs.

Bergquist says working with Boise-based Hawkins development group, the new design will make more efficient use of the site along the Clark Fork River.

"You can never please everyone, but the overwhelming feedback that we heard was that the building's too high and we don't want that on the river," Bergquist told me last week. "So, we scaled it back and we basically took that same mass that was going to be 11 stories high and spread it out, um, on a 4-story building."

From river level, the parking garage caps will be about 6 stories total, but Bergquist says it meets all of the downtown Missoula Master Plan objectives.

And he says it became problematic to only develop new condos in the original plans, which are difficult to market because of the "phased" development. Instead, the new project involves a mix of condos, townhomes, and the 155-room hotel, plus restaurant and shops.

Based on experience with his other project, "The Reed", which is adjacent, they've learned buyers are downsizing, especially as they age, and like to be in walking distance.

"They're down to one car now because everything is so walkable from that site. They said during the winter sometimes their cars don't even move and they, even during the winters, they can be walking to all the places they want to get."- Developer Cole Bergquist

Butte arsonist on the loose?

A pair of weekend fires has Butte authorities looking for tips to catch a possible arsonist.

The fires broke out within a block of each other in Butte, on Harrison Avenue. Friday night's fire severely damaged a building housing "Real Deals on Home Decor in the 1700 block. A fire in the next block on Saturday damaged two more businesses.

Authorities continue to investigate both blazes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Butte Silverbow Sheriff's Department at 406-497-1120.

READ MORE: Is Butte Under Attack by an Arsonist?

Gallatin County officer dies in hunting accident

The Gallatin County law enforcement community is mourning the loss of one if its own, with the death of a veteran detention officer who was killed in a hunting accident over the weekend.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said Detention Sergeant Michael Flohr died in a hunting accident in Magpie Gulch, in Broadwater County, on Saturday. Details of exactly what happened hadn't been released, but his colleagues are calling Flohr an "icon in public safety", and say the Sheriff's Office is rallying around the family and offering support.

More on the Belgrade shooting

Also over the weekend, Gallatin County Sheriff-Coroner Dan Springer said it was a 37-year-old Belgrade man who was killed in that officer-involved shooting with Belgrade Police during a disturbance on the west side of town last week. The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Devin Scheurn. The case remains under investigation, but the initial information was that a Belgrade officer was injured when he was under fire while he was in his patrol car, and an "assisting officer" returned fire, killing Scheurn

Sheehy on beef prices and ranching

Montana Senator Tim Sheehy believes the future of the ag industry in Montana, and elsewhere, depends on addressing key issues that have driven down beef prices and incoming for other producers.

Sheehy took part in the recent Common Ground Ag Summit and discussed the imbalance between high beef prices in the grocery stores and what ranchers are actually making, saying much of the impact is being caused by 4 meat packing operators, three of which are foreign-owned. There's also the new turmoil over the prospect of more imported beef from Argentina.

Sheehy says Congress can help by listening it ideas for reforms to help ranchers.

"Of course, our foreign imports of foreign countries' beef, which has always been a structural component of our market, but we have to balance that to make sure that as we rebuild the American herd," Sheehy said last week.

"Ranchers aren't going to reinvest in growing their herds if we don't incentivize them to. If they're more incentivized to sell their ranch land and cash out than they are to invest in their business, then we can't expect them to regrow their herd." -Sen. Tim Sheehy