by Alison Berry

We had a great webinar yesterday with Ed & Leslie Wetherbee, discussing their exciting revitalization project in Missoula’s Old Sawmill District. Questions from the audience prompted additional information from the Wetherbees. Here is a re-cap:

Q: Did you use a form-based code to implement your vision?

A: No. The city has building codes that we will have to meet. Our concept is for higher-density urban living, so that is driving where we are going. The city was actually very interested in our plan, in fact, they even wanted more density that what we have proposed. In addition, from an economic standpoint, the costs of getting to where we are now creates a scenario where we need to have higher-density to cover our costs.

Q: Do you have any plans for affordable housing for the residential units?

A: We don’t have plans for this. There is a great deal of affordable housing available nearby, across the river. We don’t have plans to incorporate that.

Q: What is the University of Montana’s role in the development? Do you have a programmatic realationship with the university? Are they a partner or a stakeholder?

A: There is no formal relationship. The extended learning program is acting as an advisor to us, and there is a lot of interest from the alumni office. We are working closely, we meet often, and as the project unfolds, we will see where that relationship can go. We would like to see a very close relationship, but there are boundaries that will need to be observed. Continue reading →