Bozeman Build #35

Howdy makers of Montana

Welcome back to the Bozeman Build Report covering trade related activities happening in Montana. Today we’re covering urban wheat fields, Bozeman projects, back to back banks, BNSF derailment, Colorado’s Haselden Construction opens new Montana office, 1.44 B loans to to Montana Renewables, LLC, new Kalispell timber museum, Infrastructure bill and how that money is being put to work in NW MT, Taylor to Swift, Town Pumpire, dam renovations, and blue bird weather. Enjoy the next 5 minutes covering what Montana is made of.

Keep the saw sharp,

Daniel

When, what, and who is the Bozeman Build? The BB is a 1x/week email newsletter delivered every Monday morning focused on Montana trade/blue collar news. We are not a financial or building advisors.

Bozeman and Montana Trade Pulse

Bozeman trade pulse

Oct 15, 2024 Artist’s iconic wheat field reimagined, comes full circle in Bozeman The harvest of Agnes Denes’ “Wheatfield An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground,” was in September at Tinworks Art, a nonprofit that features inclusive art in non-traditional spaces in Bozeman. (Montana Free Press)

Bozeman MT Project Portal

Two weeks ago the portal wouldn’t load so here are new projects listed October 09 through the 16th, its back in operation again.

• 24356 - 8TH AND ASPE MIXED- USE BUILDING LOTS 13-18 & SOUTH 35 FEET OF LOT 12 OF DURSTON'S 2ND SUBDIVISION (Oct 16)

• 24545 - Altos Photonics, Inc. - New construction will include one (1) structure including light manufacturing, storage, sales, and a small restaurant space. Northeast corner of North Rouse Ave and East Tamarack. (Oct 9)

• 24543 - Demolition of existing garage. Construction of new garage with ADU above

• 24529 - Amend Ordinance No. 2105, Affordable Housing Ordinance to respond to City Commission directions.

• 24482 - 24091 Missouri Heights - This is a new multi-family mixed-use project that creates market rate housing and commercial amenities fostering a walkable community for the City of Bozeman. The proposed project is a five story building at approximately 24,000 SF with 10 residential units, 2 commercial units, a courtyard, a rooftop deck, and 9 parking. 703 MENDENHALL

• 24455 - Blackwood Groves Site Plan - Multi-family residential development including 9 residential buildings, a clubhouse with fitness and pool amenities, outdoor pickle ball and bocce ball courts, hardscape, infrastructure, and landscaping.

• 24433 - Simkins Hallin T2B & 4B SP - A site plan application for the development of the future Retail/Office, Truss Shop, Drive-thru, and Sheetrock buildings north of Wheat Drive in the North Park Industrial Zone.

Bozeman Fall colors update

Montana trade pulse

Montana Housing Market: Trends and Forecast 2024-2025 (Norada Real Estate Investments)

• Typical Home Values: $463,962 (Zillow Data).

• 1-Year Value Change: +2.8%

• For Sale Inventory: 7,592 homes

• New Listings: 1,489

• Median Sale Price: $472,790

• Median List Price: $559,983

• Sales Over List Price: 12.6%

• Sales Under List Price: 68.4%

April 24, 2024 - “First Interstate Bank is building a new branch adjacent to the Auto Zone and Stockman Bank continues its expansion at the former Burger King.” (Hungry Horse News)

Outdated article yet something that struck me while in Columbia Falls, noticing two banks being constructed (First Interstate and Stockman) within a few blocks of each other both at similar construction stages off Hwy 2 through Columbia Falls.

• Stockman Bank is Montana’s largest family-owned, community bank with 37 full-service locations across the state.

• First Interstate has more than 300 branches across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.

Oct 14, 2024 Train derails near Glacier, spills hundreds of tons of grain. On Saturday morning at approximately 5:42 a.m., a westbound BNSF Railway grain train derailed near Bear Creek, about four miles east of Essex. Nobody was injured in the derailment but 12 rail cars went off the tracks, with two sliding down a steep embankment above U.S. Highway 2. BNSF officials told Montana Free Press that the cause of the derailment was under investigation. (Montana Free Press)

Oct. 16, 2024 Denver-based Haselden Construction announced it opened an office in Bozeman, Montana, to better serve the Rocky Mountain region and deliver construction projects to clients across the state. The new office, known as Haselden Montana Constructors, will be headed by President Daniel Bates (Construction Dive)

• The company, which was founded in 1973 and had revenues of $461 million in 2023, The firm already has a wide reach in neighboring Wyoming, as well as its home state of Colorado.

October 16, 2024 LPO Announces Conditional Commitment to Montana Renewables to Significantly Expand US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production. 

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced today a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.44 billion to Montana Renewables, LLC (Montana Renewables, or MRL). The loan guarantee, if finalized, will help finance the expansion of a renewable fuels facility in Great Falls, Montana, that will utilize vegetable oils, fats, and greases to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel (RD), and renewable naphtha (RN). (Energy.gov)

Oct 18, 2024 KALISPELL — There’s a new exhibit at the Northwest Montana History Museum in Kalispell that focuses on the importance of the timber industry to the region. The exhibit called “Lumberjacks, Tie Hacks and River Pigs” took months to construct and displays historic tools, clothing and even a model train layout featuring the Somers tie plant and other past and present Flathead Valley landmarks. (KPAX)

October 20, 2024 What Did the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Do for Northwest Montana? (Flathead Beacon)

• Glacier Park International Airport Renovation – $19 million (Federal Aviation Administration Airport Terminals Program, U.S. Department of Transportation)

• High-Speed Internet Connection – $47 million (ReConnect Grants, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

• Energy Grid Protection Against Wildfires – $26 million (Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP), U.S. Department of Energy)

• Kootenai National Forest Wildfire Mitigation – $22 million (Wildfire Crisis Strategy, U.S. Forest Service)

• Columbia Falls RAISE Grant – $10 million (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant, U.S. Department of Transportation)

• U.S. Highway 93 Reconstruction – $31 million (National Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP), Federal Highway Administration)

• Evergreen Pedestrian Improvements – $1 million (Surface Transportation Block Grant, U.S. Department of Transportation)

• Stoltze Timber Wood Processing – $1 million (Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance, U.S. Forest Service)

• Whitefish Rail Corridor Crossing Study – $400,000 (Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation)

• West Reserve Drive Improvements Project – $25 million (Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant, U.S. Department of Transportation)

• Flathead County Bridge Investment Program – $240,000 (Bridge Investment Program, U.S. Department of Transportation)

MDT News

20241017-132335 | RESCHEDULED I-90 Closure And Aerial Weed Spraying
20241017-080917 | MDT Lifts Restrictions For Overweight Vehicles On I-90
20241016-143940 | MDT Completes Curves North Of Churchill Project
20241015-092519 | Maclay Bridge Available For Adoption

DNRC News

“Taylor to Swift Forest Management Project” The proposed Taylor to Swift Forest Management Project is located approximately 9 miles northwest of Whitefish, MT in Flathead County. (DNRC News)

“Taylor to Swift Forest Management Project” Ha, this had to have been intentional.

October 16 2024 The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is soliciting responses to a request for proposals (RFP) for commercial lease to develop 2 parcels zoned B2-2 Community Business located on Reserve Street in Missoula, Montana. Zoning allows apartments, townhomes, medical offices as well as other commercial uses. (DNRC)

Map of Montana’s Town Pumps

For amusement and kicks.

Basin Dam Renovation

Battle Ridge Builders dam renovation project near Butte, MT. I was curious how they planned on pouring the rim, they got back to me with this photo mentioning “the 61 meter pump truck fits just right.” So cool!

Weather

Beautiful week ahead across most of the State, get your projects done!

In collaboration with the Montana Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee, the Montana State Library publishes monthly maps of moisture status by county. (Montana State Library Current Drought Conditions)

Public comments from the month of October:

10/10/2024 - Dawson County - As tough as I have seen it. I’ve never seen that creek dry that I upload the picture. Feeding hay, sold calves already.

10/15/2024 - Prairie County - Cattleman are feeding cattle and there will not be normal winter grazing. Water quality of streams and reservoirs is bad.

Fall Colors

Larch and Tamarack’s appear to be in full swing. Here’s a webcam screenshot viewing the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near West Glacier gathered from Glacier National Park Webcams on Sunday October 20th (NPS)

Have a great week,

Daniel

bozemanbuild.com & blockbiome.com