by Alison Berry

We had a great webinar last week with Ed and Leslie Wetherbee, discussing their exciting project in the Old Sawmill District at the heart of Missoula. Here is a re-cap:

Ed and Leslie are working to restore the sight of an old sawmill. It used to look like this:

Here is an aerial view of the site, you can see piles of logs stacked top of the photo, and the rail line cutting diagonally through the site:

The Wetherbees have big plans for the site, including 140,000 square feet of commercial space, more than 500 residential units, 14.5 acres of park, and more. Here is a view of their plan (for reference, you can still see the rail line in the lower right corner of this graphic):

The Wetherbees are at work making this plan a reality. They have completed evironmental remediation, excavated old foundations and infrastructure, made street improvements, installed a boat ramp, completed the park along the river, and more. As much as possible, they have used sustainable practices–for example, salvaging materials for park shelters:

The Wetherbees are also maximizing recreational assets. The park is the hub of a 22-mile trail system, and it borders an existing aquatic center, softball field, and baseball stadium. The new boat ramp allows river users an extra mile of boating access to the Clark Fork River.

The development has not been built-out yet, but the Wetherbees are taking reservations for Polley Square:

This building will be mixed-use, with commercial spaces at the ground floor, and residential spaces above. Future developments will include a range of real estate products. Residential options will include detached, single-family housing, but also apartments, townhouses, condominiums, and more. Commercial spaces may vary from large-scale office facilities, to small boutique retail or restaurant space.

Keep an eye on the Old Sawmill District to keep up with future developments, or watch the webinar for additional details!

(Cross posted from Community Builders)