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Item 1.K.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 12/16/2024 |
| Title: | Adaptive Reuse and Mixed-Use Montana Main Street Grant City of Billings and Downtown Billings |
| Presented by: | Chris Kukulski, City Administrator |
| Department: | City Hall Administration |
| Presentation: | No |
| Legal Review: | Yes |
| Project Number: | N/A |
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council accept the $300,000 Adaptive Reuse and Mixed-Use Montana Main Street Grant on behalf of the Downtown Billings Partnership (DBP) and City of Billings.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
The Montana Main Street Adaptive Reuse and Mixed-Use Grant was awarded to the City of Billings and Downtown Billings Partnership on October 22, 2024, in the amount of $300,000. The Adaptive Reuse and Mixed-Use Montana Main Street Grant is intended to support Montana Main Street communities’ need for implementation dollars for projects to activate spaces and execute concrete ideas for downtown revitalization. The grant objectives, project planning and management, and fiscal reporting will be managed by the BDP, in partnership with the City of Billings as required by the grant contract documents.
The Downtown Billings staff applied for the funds to redevelop the Billings Masonic Lodge, located in the heart of downtown Billings, on the corner of N Broadway and 3rd Avenue N. Built in 1910, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Having been the home of several businesses in the last century, the building has been largely vacant since 2019, is currently boarded up and in an increasingly declining state of disrepair. Located adjacent to the newly renovated Alberta Bair Theater, located on N Broadway, and centrally located in the business and retail core, this property is uniquely positioned to be a lively and dynamic downtown asset. The property has been identified by the City of Billings as an abandoned building and is the recipient of numerous code violations. Several attempts have been made to encourage the property owners to redevelop the historic building with no success. Mr. Steve Widmyer, Partner and Owner of the Widmyer Corporation and 1319 Ash, LLC, a developer who has demonstrated success in several mixed-use development projects in downtown Billings, is currently under contract to purchase the Masonic Building and redevelop this beautiful, historic building in partnership with the Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA). This community-minded partnership will redevelop the building to be a vibrant and active space that will include a retail incubator on the first floor, Downtown Billings Alliance offices and community space on the third floor, and workforce housing on the second floor.
The Downtown Billings staff applied for the funds to redevelop the Billings Masonic Lodge, located in the heart of downtown Billings, on the corner of N Broadway and 3rd Avenue N. Built in 1910, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Having been the home of several businesses in the last century, the building has been largely vacant since 2019, is currently boarded up and in an increasingly declining state of disrepair. Located adjacent to the newly renovated Alberta Bair Theater, located on N Broadway, and centrally located in the business and retail core, this property is uniquely positioned to be a lively and dynamic downtown asset. The property has been identified by the City of Billings as an abandoned building and is the recipient of numerous code violations. Several attempts have been made to encourage the property owners to redevelop the historic building with no success. Mr. Steve Widmyer, Partner and Owner of the Widmyer Corporation and 1319 Ash, LLC, a developer who has demonstrated success in several mixed-use development projects in downtown Billings, is currently under contract to purchase the Masonic Building and redevelop this beautiful, historic building in partnership with the Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA). This community-minded partnership will redevelop the building to be a vibrant and active space that will include a retail incubator on the first floor, Downtown Billings Alliance offices and community space on the third floor, and workforce housing on the second floor.
STAKEHOLDERS
Mr. Steve Widmyer, Partner and Owner of the Widmyer Corporation and 1319 Ash, LLC, a developer who has demonstrated success in several mixed-use development projects in downtown Billings, is currently under contract to purchase the Masonic Building and redevelop this beautiful, historic building in partnership with the Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA).
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Accept the grant funds; or
- Not Accept the grant funds. The project will be delayed to secure funding.
FISCAL EFFECTS
There is no local match required from the city for the $300,000.
SUMMARY
The Montana Main Street Adaptive Reuse and Mixed-Use Grant was awarded to the City of Billings and DBP on October 22, 2024, in the amount of $300,000. The Grant is intended to contribute to the redevelopment of the Billings Masonic Lodge, located on the corner of N. Broadway and 3rd Avenue N. Activation of this building will create a benefit to the entire community and visitors to downtown Billings with new retail opportunities, 24-hour activation with new residential units, and intentional and focused programming by the DBA staff and programs.