Hello and welcome to the 82nd edition of the Bozeman Build Report covering business and trade events happening in the Northern Rockies, glad to have you back! In todays edition we cover new wellness facilities, $250M Antimony mining contract, Montana migration flattens, Old Milwaukee Trail, rural hospitals, and much more.

Have a great one!

Daniel

_{When and what is the Bozeman Build? The BB is a 1x/week free email newsletter delivered Monday mornings focused on Montana trade content and news. We are not a financial or building advisors.}

Montana Trade Pulse

Sep 12, 2025 A new $23 million-dollar wellness center is under construction in Livingston. The wellness center is expected to open in either winter 2026 or 2027. (Montana Right Now)

Sep 23, 2025 Benefis Health System Begins Construction On New Senior Living Community Sanavita Estates In Great Falls, Montana. The project, on a 42-acre property, will house 92 units total, including 28 freestanding villas and a 3-story building with 64 units. (Healthcare Design Mag)

Sep 24, 2025 Energy task force kicks off, governor calls for creativity, action. The task force, a group of 20 industry representatives, energy experts, large consumers, and legislators, asked how much more energy generation Montana needs, how much transmission capacity is available, and how to turn the page on “negative press” about data centers. (Daily Montanan)

Sep 24, 2025 The Helena Slim Chickens has closed permanently as of Sept. 24, 2025. There is no word on what officially led to the location's closure. (KTVH)

Sep 24, 2025 HELENA – This fall, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will break ground at Montana WILD on a new avian building that will modernize the care for FWP’s ambassador raptors and provide more educational opportunities for the public. (FWP)

September 24, 2025 UM Celebrates 2.3% Enrollment Growth, Record-High Retention. This fall, 11,064 students are enrolled at the University of Montana, marking the fifth consecutive year of enrollment growth at the University. Since 2021, UM has grown by more than 16%, adding 1,562 students to its overall headcount. (UMT)

Sep 24, 2025 Did you know that chimney swifts are among the fastest flyers in the bird world? They’ve been clocked at more than 60 miles per hour. They can also fly up to 500 miles per day while hunting insects, eating more than 1,000 flying insects a day and up to 12,000 when feeding their young. (FWP)

Sep 24, 2025 The only vendor to ever provide legalized sports gambling in Montana recently won the state’s contract after a successful bidding process in which it underbid it’s current contract as it inked a new deal for a seven-year term that could be extended to as long as 10. Intralot, a Greek-based sports betting and technology company, won the bid. (Daily Montanan)

Sep 24, 2025 Montana Technological University alumnus Kyle Haustveit has been confirmed as the 16th assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE). The confirmation, announced September 18, 2025, places Haustveit at the helm of FE and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), where he will oversee a $5 billion research and development portfolio spanning coal, oil, natural gas, and critical minerals. His work will focus on advancing affordable, reliable energy solutions for the nation. (Montana Tech News)

Sep 24, 2025 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Bill Warden is appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the USDA Rural Development State Director for the state of Montana. (USDA)

Sep 25, 2025 HELENA, Mont. — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 16-state investigation into major tech companies’ renewable energy claims, alleging Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta are misleading consumers about their environmental impact while contributing to electric grid reliability problems. In a 15-page letter sent Wednesday to executives at the four companies, Knudsen and his counterparts from 15 other states allege the tech giants use “environmental accounting gimmicks” to claim they operate on 100% renewable energy while actually relying heavily on fossil fuels. (Western MT News)

Sep 25, 2025 Sanders County based United States Antimony Corporation (USAC) was recently awarded a $245 million contract from the Department of Defense for the production of antimony to aid in the replenishment of the National Defense Stockpile that supports the U.S. military. The facility’s expansion is expected to be completed in January of next year. (KPAX)

Sep 26, 2025 MISSOULA — The City of Missoula will host its final public input session on proposed zoning changes that could reshape neighborhoods across the city, with a drop-in open house scheduled for October 9 from 4-7 p.m. at the Missoula County Floriculture Building at the Missoula County Fairgrounds. The city has set an aggressive schedule for final adoption: October 9: Final public open house. Early November: Release of complete Unified Development Code. December 22: Potential City Council adoption. (Western MT News)

New Columbus Town Pump

Was working near Columbus a few weeks ago and noticed a new Town Pump being constructed.

Yes, the rumors are true: the Columbus Town Pump will undergo a major expansion. And it will be ready by the end of 2025. Why? According to Bill McGladdery, Town Pump’s Director of Corporate Communications, the local Town Pump has “outgrown its current space.” And this new store building, he said, will be 18,500 square feet, which is practically double the size of the current Town Pump, which opened in 1978. (Stillwater County News)

Butte Old Milwaukee Trail

Went mountain biking this weekend on Buttes Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail (Thompson Park) up to Pipestone pass onto the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). The Old Milwaukee section crosses through 2 tunnels, over one tussle bridge, tracking up a 2% grade the entire climb, the single track on the CDT was immaculate. The tunnel photo below was the third tunnel which is gated off. Learn more about this trail section on Rails to Trails.

Montana migration has returned to normal pace

Found this Youtube video featuring Flathead Real Estate Broker Will Friedner explaining Montana’s current migration trends, he does a great job referencing his points with data.

Bozeman Trade Pulse

Sep 20, 2025 Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) is seeking qualifications from firms to undertake a Design/Build contract for: BIKEFILL BIKE PARK The contract includes planning, design and construction to create a community bike park for riders of all ages and abilities on 66 acres of City property adjacent to Snowfill Recreation Area. (BDC Classifieds)

Sep 24, 2025 Third-Party Study Finds WARD’s Affordability Requirement Infeasible in Current Market. According to the study, a 30-unit single-family home market-rate development without affordability requirements could make a 10% profit in today’s market. With WARD in effect, that same development may lose $25,000 per home, for a total loss of 4%. The model also looked at a 90-unit apartment complex. According to the report, such developments are not currently feasible in today’s market without affordability requirements, and WARD increases the funding needed to make a profit by $2.6 million. (Bozeman News)

Sep 24, 2025 Core Facilities Day on Oct. 3 to highlight unique research tools at Montana State (MSU News)

Sep 25, 2025 NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the City of Belgrade, Montana, (hereafter “City”) is seeking proposals from firms to provide Design-Build Services for the Belgrade Justice Center (Remodel of Former Heck Elementary School) & City Hall (Remodel of Former Quaw Elementary School) project CM 25-01, located within the Belgrade, Montana city limits. (BDC Classifieds)

Sept. 26, 2025 Outdoor destination brand Gravity Haus opened its latest property in Big Sky, Montana, the Colorado-based hotel brand announced Thursday. The 29-room lifestyle hotel offers a taco restaurant, coffee shop, bar, fitness center and coworking space in the former River Rock Lodge, which Gravity Haus affiliates purchased from Big Sky’s Lone Mountain Land Company last year. (Hotel Dive)

Northern Rockies Misc

September 5, 2025 Low-level helicopter flights begin as soon as early September over the greater “Silver Valley” mineral district in Northeastern Idaho and Northwestern Montana to image geology using airborne geophysical technology. Surveying is expected to extend into late autumn of 2025; depending on weather, it may continue in the spring and summer of 2026. (USGS)

Sep 24, 2025 Washington state’s 25-27 budget is now negative by $421 million. According to the state’s September Revenue Forecast, projected revenues have been reduced by more than $400 million, resulting in a budget deficit. This news follows lawmakers enacting the largest tax increase in state history earlier this year (by more than $9 billion). One of the major components of that tax increase (sales tax on digital ads) is currently being challenged by Comcast for violating the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act. (Everett Post)

September 26, 2025 Sublette County (Pinedale, WY) celebrated the grand opening of its first hospital Thursday, nearly 100 years after the idea was first brought up. Now, hospital officials have another challenge — keeping it open. (Cowboy State Daily)

September 25, 2025 The U.S. Geological Survey has awarded nearly $3 million in cooperative agreements to state geological surveys to study critical minerals in the materials left over from mining at active and legacy sites. (USGS)

Weather

Temps to drop this weekend across the Northwest Region. Enjoy the sunny clear weather while its here!

Another Fall Foliage update, next weeks cold weather will push most most high elevation trees past their peak.

Thank you for reading have a fantastic week 🙂

Daniel Zavadil

bozemanbuild.com & blockbiome.com