Department Of Commerce

Current Projects: 

2023

Planning and Project Grant:

  • Butte: Wayfinding plan
  • Forsyth: Branding plan
  • Great Falls: Economic vitality transformation strategy
  • Hardin: Wayfinding plan
  • Havre: Housing feasibility study
  • Helena: Art space feasibility study
  • Red Lodge: Downtown revitalization plan and growth policy
  • Shelby: Architectural design/master plan
  • Thompson Falls: Wayfinding plan

Impact Grants:

  • Baker: Pocket park
  • Billings: Light bike trail
  • Butte: Thermoplastic crosswalk and streetscape surfaces
  • Great Falls: Information kiosks
  • Hamilton: Façade improvement program
  • Red Lodge: Greenspace upgrades for Roosevelt Center
  • Roundup: Wayfinding, place marker signs, and light pole banners
  • Sidney: Yellowstone Mercantile windows and doors
  • Townsend: "The Nook" (a third space)

Past Projects

  • Roundup: Construct a welcome plaza in downtown. The plaza includes a visitor information kiosk, convenient and accessible parking and design features that align with Roundup's Branding Book. The project anchors downtown by changing a vacant lot into an aesthetically appealing plaza that provides resources for non-resident visitors and creates a unique sense of place.
  • Shelby: Complete a National Register of Historic Places designation for the Main Street District. The project is an implementation item from the Shelby's 2020 Historic Preservation Plan. This designation enables the community to be recognized for it's unique historic characteristics.
  • Glendive: Create a branding plan to create a cohesive sense of place and consistent marketing, messaging and signage for the community.
  • Baker: Create a phasing plan for the old Baker State Bank to strategize for the structure’s rehabilitation. The building’s renovation will create office space, affordable apartments, a business incubator and meeting space.
  • Anaconda: Develop a Preliminary Architectural Report/Preliminary Engineering Report for the Copper Village Art Center and Museum to focus on revitalizing the building into a new event and meeting center for the community. Copper Village is an attractive downtown catalyst project.
  • Ekalaka: Develop a community plan to address Ekalaka’s economic, cultural, and historic assets while identifying both short- and long-term goals for growth and revitalization.
  • Red Lodge: Implement a public greenspace outside the Roosevelt Center, an arts, culture, education, and community gathering space that brings residents and visitors to the south side of Red Lodge. The greenspace has a sculpture garden with seating, an outdoor venue and native plantings.
  • Glasgow: Create an engineering and implementation plan for new downtown district lighting. The plan would focus on aesthetic and safety improvements for downtown lighting and would enhance Glasgow’s downtown aesthetics and walkability.
  • City-County of Butte-Silver Bow: Develop an uptown master plan that solidifies community efforts in an actionable plan to improve economic vitality, preserve the character of the district, attract businesses, promote the area, and have an inclusive atmosphere. The proposed project was prioritized in the 2020 growth policy update.
  • Great Falls: Install wayfinding signage that improves Great Falls’ access and visitation, creating a more navigable and vibrant community. The project implements the 2021 wayfinding plan for the City of Great Falls.
  • Hamilton: Install wayfinding signage that better directs the flow of motorist, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. The project implements the 2019 wayfinding plan, completed with previous MMS funding.
  • Havre: Develop a downtown master plan to serve as a guiding document for coordinated improvements to downtown Havre. The project emphasizes the downtown business district core, supporting business development and historic preservation, and guiding improvement efforts with the MMS four-point approach to further local revitalization goals.
  • Whitehall: Conduct a Preliminary Architectural Report (PAR) for the historic Star Theater, an important driver of downtown revitalization efforts. The report assesses the structural and architectural condition of the building, outlines restoration needs, and explores business model improvement to enhance the building's economic viability and wider community impact.
  • Helena: Develop a downtown capital improvements plan, emphasizing solid waste management, streetscape and architectural design standards, irrigation needs, and ADA accessibility within the downtown commercial district to help to prioritize needed improvements. The project builds on existing planning efforts, including a downtown master plan.
  • Lincoln: Complete a comprehensive downtown master plan to define the community’s long-term goals with a robust action plan as a new MMS community. The plan includes transportation, aesthetic improvements, wayfinding, community assets, visual representations, proposed locations for historic features, housing, recreation infrastructure, economic development, niche business development, resources, and funding strategies.
  • Red Lodge: Create a community parking study and access strategy for the Roosevelt Center, an arts, culture, performance, conference, education, and community gathering space. The project addresses Red Lodge's needs for motorized and non-motorized parking and access to the Roosevelt Center.
  • Deer Lodge: Implementation of the first phase from their recently completed wayfinding plan by construction of a Gateway Sign to attract people downtown, increase foot traffic, local spending, and encourage new business to open.
  • Libby: Update to the community Growth Policy that meets the community's immediate needs and includes an updated downtown revitalization plan.
  • Stevensville: Update to the community Growth Policy to include an emphasis on a revitalized MMS program in the community.
  • Great Falls: Development of a comprehensive Wayfinding Plan for the City of Great Falls, with an emphasis on the downtown corridor. Implementation will help to connect downtown to adjacent attractions, businesses, museums, and the River Front Trail.
  • Helena: Creation of a Cruse Avenue Revitalization Plan to revitalize an underutilized area of downtown and make it vibrant again. The plan will have elements of workforce housing and economic development.
  • Livingston: Development of a Downtown Master Plan as part of the Livingston Growth Policy update. The project will focus on regional growth pressures, tourism, housing, historic preservation, and business growth.
  • Miles City: Development of a Façade Improvement Program to incentivize improvements to downtown buildings and enhancing the vibrancy of the downtown core.
  • Kalispell: Complete Historic District Guidelines for Kalispell’s Business Improvement District. The project will provide a resource to guide the proper treatment of historic buildings in the downtown and to guide building improvements and design.
  • Anaconda: Development of a Historic Preservation Plan to preserve the communities’ historic and cultural resources, ​promote long-term planning, organize efforts of community stakeholders, ​facilitate a comprehensive sense of place, and create a vibrant and healthy downtown district through cohesive design standards and policies.
  • Boulder: Create a community branding development plan to develop a strategic brand that capitalizes on community assets and identity. The project is an implementation of the recently adopted downtown master plan, completed with previous MMS funding.
  • Deer Lodge: Develop a comprehensive community wayfinding plan to guide visitors to downtown and key attractions. The project contributes to local planning and revitalization efforts.
  • Ennis: Develop a downtown master plan for an actionable plan to increase walkability, accommodate future growth, identify new economic avenues, and guide future community development. As part of the community’s long-range planning efforts creation of a downtown master plan will coordinate with the city’s growth policy to accomplish goals in the areas of community and economic development, revitalization, and coordinate with ongoing public/private partnerships.
  • Great Falls: Develop a downtown block revitalization study to create a targeted revitalization vision for three downtown blocks/intersections. The proposed project builds on the City’s 2011 downtown master pan and would create a vision for key sections of the prioritized downtown core area to catalyze private redevelopment investment.
  • Hamilton: Develop a community wayfinding plan to better direct the flow of motorist, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. The project establishes community wide signage to increase safety and connect visitors with Hamilton’s cultural and natural amenities.
  • Hardin: Develop a downtown master plan to create a comprehensive vision for community planning and development. The project will focus on identifying key buildings and upper floor usage. The downtown master plan builds on previous planning efforts and will establish an action plan for revitalization and diversifying the local economy.
  • Roundup: Conduct a Preliminary Architectural Report (PAR) for the historic high school and community center building, an essential step toward creating a successful long-term plan for the building and addressing the feasibility of reopening the building as a community center. The PAR builds on the community’s goals for historic rehabilitation and long-range planning addressed in the downtown master plan previously funded by MMS.
  • Thompson Falls: Conduct a (PAR) for the historic Black Bear Inn, an essential step toward successful historic rehabilitation of the underutilized building and a catalyst for further economic development in the community. A PAR will establish design work for the building including infrastructure upgrades and a phased approach for renovation including a feasibility study for uses, specifically on the second floor. The PAR will be in line with the branding plan MMS previously funded, as well as being noted as a priority in the City’s 2015 downtown master plan also funded by MMS and CDBG planning.
  • Boulder: Develop a downtown master plan to harnesses community revitalization momentum with strategic vision and tangible downtown development projects.
  • Butte: Conduct a preliminary architectural report (PAR) for the historic Hotel Finlen building, an essential step toward successful rehabilitation and Uptown Butte revitalization.
  • Dillon: Create streetscape design plan to develop a walkable Montana Street corridor downtown and support local economic vitality.
  • Glasgow: Develop a community and downtown wayfinding plan to better direct the flow of pedestrian traffic, promote a safe and walkable downtown core and contribute to the planning and implementation of local tourism infrastructure.
  • Great Falls: Implement phase II of the downtown pedlet placemaking project to promote walkable downtown public spaces and outdoor dining spaces. Only the second such project in the country, this innovative downtown project highlights the impact of outside spaces in creating a vibrant and healthy district. The phase I pedlet spurred a 20% increase in business at the Mighty Mo Brewing Company, and phase II will partner with additional downtown businesses.
  • Kalispell: Develop the Kalispell trail economic development and design plan, a component of the larger corridor redevelopment and revitalization core area plan. The project will interconnect the downtown business core with community-wide development opportunities, neighborhoods, and greenspace.
  • Lewistown: Implement the Creekside Marketplace project to create accessible greenspace and commercial development on Main Street and connect the development with the community trail system.
  • Shelby: Create a historic preservation plan to prioritize community historic preservation, rehabilitation and local historic development incentives.
  • Stevensville: Develop a downtown master plan, market analysis and River Park site plan to organize local development opportunities, local business growth, and community facilities.
  • Anaconda/Deer Lodge County: Develop an active transportation plan to address downtown walkability, promote alternative forms of transportation, allow for the interconnectivity of the historic commercial district, and overcome the challenges of a bifurcated Main Street. The project builds on significant community revitalization successes, including a downtown master plan and the placemaking and street design visioning of the New Mobility West collaborative, including the Sonoran Institute and Project for Public Spaces. This project includes funding from CDBG planning and the Montana Department of Transportation.
  • Glasgow: Create community branding to capitalize on community assets and regional identity. The project is an implementation of a downtown revitalization plan, completed with previous MMS funding. It will provide a foundation for subsequent wayfinding implementation.
  • Glendive: Develop a downtown master plan to create a comprehensive vision for the planning and development of the commercial district. The project will position the community in a collaborative effort to better utilize the downtown building infrastructure and identify a unified strategy to develop the regional tourism industry that correlates with the downtown district. The project includes CDBG planning funds.
  • Great Falls: Implement a downtown pedlet placemaking project to promote walkable downtown public spaces and outdoor dining spaces. Only the second such project in the country, this innovative downtown will highlight the impact of outside spaces in creating a vibrant and healthy district. The project will partner with several local businesses, placing a “pedlet” and creating outside seating space for patrons.
  • Helena: The Helena Business Improvement District will forward a downtown façade improvement program to offer grants to local business/building owners for improvements to downtown building facades. The program implements a component of the Helena downtown master plan and combines the benefits of historic preservation and revitalization efforts with a desire to leverage public/private investments to incentivize economic development opportunities in the downtown business district.
  • Lewistown: Implement a downtown parklet placemaking project to promote the walkability and economic vitality of the downtown commercial district. This includes the construction of several outside dining and seating areas within the arts and entertainment district to support local business and to develop tourism.
  • Red Lodge: Building from the community’s brand as the “Basecamp to the Beartooths” and its active transportation plan, Red Lodge will create a wayfinding plan to determine the best design and location for a community-wide signage system. The project will better connect its Main Street with the abundant number of business and dining, historical, cultural and recreational attractions in the community.
  • Roundup: Develop a downtown master plan for downtown revitalization, historic rehabilitation, economic development and long-range community planning. The project builds on the towns's growth policy and coordinates with its historic preservation plan, unifying the significant number of successes downtown and in the wider community.
  • Butte: Conduct a PAR for the historic Phoenix Building in Uptown Butte as an initial step of the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the seven-story structure. The project aims to create additional business-ready retail and office space, develop artisan residency and live/work space, several floors of housing units, and an estimated 75-unit hotel space. Much of the building has been vacant or underutilized; ths project will provide a foundational step in its preservation and contribute to the economic vitality and larger revitalization of Uptown Butte.
  • Deer Lodge: Complete a PAR for the historic Hotel Deer Lodge building downtown. The building sat vacant and in disrepair for decades and its restoration serves as a potential catalyst for the revitalization of the downtown business district. The project aims to explore the creation of commercial and community space, as well as housing and lodging facilities. The Hotel Deer Lodge project complements the rehabilitation of the Rialto Theater, a nationally recognized example of the success of community resolve and historic preservation.
  • Libby: Conduct a tourism assessment study and develop a plan to grow tourism in Libby and Troy.
  • Miles City: Implement both the community growth policy and the downtown urban renewal plan. The City will forward a façade improvement program to provide financial incentives to downtown property owners to restore and improve commercial buildings in the historic downtown district.
  • Sheridan: Complete a downtown streetscape infrastructure improvement project to include new bicycle racks and wrought iron garbage receptacles. The Sheridan Main Street Improvement Team raised over $100,000 toward downtown infrastructure including streetlamps and benches.This project helps complete a downtown streetscape and infrastructure transformation.
  • Stevensville: Update of the town's growth policy to emphasize community walkability, downtown access and infrastructure, continued economic growth on Main Street, business retention and recruitment, and the development of community tourism.
  • Thompson Falls: Develop a downtown branding project that aims to create continuity between community tourism marketing strategy, online presence, and downtown signage. The project is an implementation of the recently adopted downtown master plan, completed with a combination of MMS and CDBG funding, and will provide a foundation for subsequent wayfinding and website development.
  • Anaconda: Development of a downtown master plan that coordinates with the county growth policy and urban renewal plan to accomplish goals in the areas of community and economic development, revitalization, and historic preservation. The project correlates the significant planning and revitalization efforts of the City and the Anaconda Local Development Corporation with the goals of other local organizations.
  • Dillon: Creation of a downtown master plan in Dillon represents the culmination of local volunteers working closely with the City and the Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce to organize local efforts and to capitalize on demonstrated success of rehabilitation projects in the downtown district. As part of the long range planning project, the local effort has indicated the importance of business recruitment, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and improved streetscape design and safety.
  • Helena: Working with the City of Helena, the Helena Business Improvement District will develop a downtown master plan that creates a comprehensive and unified vision for the long range planning, development, preservation, and growth of the district. Building upon other comprehensive planning efforts, the downtown master plan will seek to emphasize the unique historic character and capitalize on existing amenities to develop a road map for economic growth and community revitalization moving forward.
  • Kalispell: Working in tandem with the City of Kalispell, the Kalispell Business Improvement District will forward a downtown building façade improvement program that offers $5,000 matching grants to local business owners for improvements to downtown building facades. The program implements a component of the updated Kalispell Growth Policy and combines the benefits of historic preservation and revitalization efforts with a desire to leverage public/private investments to incentivize economic development opportunities in the downtown business district.
  • Thompson Falls: Moving forward with a vision and goals that demonstrate a broad approach to public facilities and parks, infrastructure and the economic impact of such elements in a community. Using the development of a downtown master plan as a starting point, the City will address the needs of the downtown and has indicated revitalization efforts to include renovation of historic structures, tourism development, and enhancing the business core.
  • Glasgow: Production of an urban revitalization plan that will emphasize a comprehensive approach to public and private improvements and identify historic preservation projects needed in the downtown district.
  • Great Falls: Creation of downtown facade improvement design renderings. The project builds upon past successes incorporating architectural renderings of historic district buildings into the Great Falls Master Plan, local collaborative planning efforts, and building rehabilitation.
  • Lewistown: Development of a community wayfinding plan. The project includes the design of non-customized signage and will provide guidance as to the most effective signage types and locations based on community needs as part of a wider effort to grow regional tourism infrastructure and economy.
  • Miles City: Creation of a downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The project emphasizes the beginnings of downtown revitalization and historic preservation.
  • Shelby: Preparation of a preliminary architectural report and feasibility study for the historic Rainbow Hotel. The overall project includes a business plan and potential investor structure as part of a collaborative funding effort between Department of Commerce programs, including the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund and Community Development Block Grant - Economic Development (CDBG-ED).
  • Dawson County/Glendive: Updated Growth Policy to accurately include recent significant regional economic growth. The project benefits both the County and City, but focuses on the preservation and revitalization of downtown Glendive, improving commercial opportunities, and developing long-range plans to collaboratively promote tourism.
  • Deer Lodge: Completion of a downtown public improvement bench project to complement previous streetscape improvements.
  • Helena: Conducted a property tax analysis and revenue mapping project to better understand the value of downtown development and investments made in the downtown commercial district. The project includes the creation of a citywide set of maps demonstrating land and property valuation with revenue production charts, collaborative Helena GIS training, and a pair of community presentations to report the findings and issues unique to Helena.
  • Lewistown: Conducted a tourism assessment study and public workshops to better understand the community "through the eyes of a tourist" and to organize a tourism-related planning effort that identified key components necessary to implementing and designing a tourism infrastructure.
  • Shelby: Creation of a historical walking tour in the Main Street business district and adjacent historic neighborhoods. The project is part of a larger effort to identify and list historic properties, promote tourism in the community, and connect the downtown business district to the Shelby heritage tourism plan.
  • Terry: Continuation and completion of Growth Policy started in FY2012 to promote regional economic development in coordination with a strong downtown district.
  • Whitehall: Creation of an urban renewal tax increment finance district to remove blight, create investment in streetscape beautification, and generate a funding source for infrastructure improvement. An urban renewal TIF district has been identified as the starting point for an evolving downtown revitalization plan and is a component of the Town of Whitehall's Growth Policy, Jefferson County's economic development strategy, and the Jefferson Local Development Corporation plan of work.
  • Butte: Worked to evaluate resources and define the appropriate protocol to preserve and protect approximately 100 ghost signs in Butte's historic district.
  • Glasgow: Developed a Growth Policy that meets the community's immediate needs and provides a strategy for future growth and development needs.
  • Great Falls: Speaker sponsorship to bring speaker Donovan Rypkema to Montana Downtown Conference to discuss “100 Common Denominators of Successful Downtowns” and participate in a panel discussion on the tax benefits of downtown economic development. Funded the creation and design of a website for the newly formed Great Falls Downtown Development Partnership, an alliance of eleven organizations such as the Great Falls BID, Downtown Great Falls Association, NeighborWorks Great Falls, and the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Stevensville: Created a public relations plan to organize a proactive approach to improve the perception of the community as a desirable place to live and conduct business.
  • Terry: Developed a Growth Policy as a proactive approach to significant regional economic growth that will assist with long-term development goals while strengthening the downtown district and ensuring that growth occurs in unison with the nature of the community and main street.