Sign up for the free Missoula This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Missoula city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 06/05/2026 “Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected]. Missoula closes on sale of Riverfront Triangle for $4M  About a year after announcing the deal, the city of Missoula last week finalized the sale of the Riverfront Triangle, located west of downtown along the Clark Fork River, for a new hotel and conference center.  Averill Hospitality plans to build a 180-bed hotel and 15,000-square-foot conference center on the two-acre site, as well as a public plaza and riverfront trail extension.  “More than three decades have passed since the city became the owners of this site,” Mayor Andrea Davis said in a statement. “After years of effort, we are thrilled to see the private sector create a new destination in the heart of Missoula and to add an important new element to our riverside parks and trails system.” The city of Missoula sold the 2-acre Riverfront Triangle Property, pictured on June 2, 2026, to Averill Hospitality for $4 million on May 29, 2026. Credit: Katie Fairbanks/MTFP Averill Hospitality purchased the property for $4 million, which will eventually be paid into the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The Whitefish-based company will also voluntarily contribute 1% of room, food and beverage revenue to the fund. The assessment is estimated to generate $300,000 annually, and donations will last for 10 years or until $3 million has been contributed to the trust fund, whichever comes first.  Averill paid $1.7 million when the deal closed May 29, most of which will go to the Missoula Redevelopment Agency to pay for infrastructure at the site, Ellen Buchanan, the agency’s executive director, told Montana Free Press. About $350,000 from the closing revenue will be contributed to the trust fund by September, according to the city. As tax increment generated from the site increases beyond what is needed to pay for the infrastructure projects, the trust fund will eventually receive the entire $4 million sale price, Buchanan said.  The city will use tax increment financing funds generated by the Riverfront Triangle Urban Renewal District to reimburse Averill monthly for constructing public infrastructure, including utilities, streets, sidewalks, the public plaza and riverfront trail. Rough estimates for these costs total about $14 million, with a large chunk of that for the plaza, Buchanan said. If the district runs out of funds, Averill will front the money to pay for the infrastructure until the city can repay it, Buchanan said. Whether that happens will depend largely on project timing and if other development in the district moves forward, she said.   “If other parcels develop, infrastructure costs go up, but tax revenue goes up at the same time,” Buchanan said.  During the City Council meeting Monday, Davis said the private property owner of land adjacent to the site (including the parking structure) has received “a lot of interest” from developers.  “As suspected, having the Riverfront Triangle move forward, get into private hands, … gave some, probably, assurance to those other developers interested in that space,” she said. “So we’ll see a lot more activity be happening soon.”  Construction is set to begin following a year-long design phase, according to the city.  By the Numbers  The voter turnout rate in Missoula County in Tuesday’s primary election. The statewide turnout rate was 37.65%. Bradley Seaman, the county’s elections administrator, told MTFP that turnout was close to that of the 2024 primary election.  Most Missoula County voters receive absentee ballots and return them by mail or drop-off, Seaman said. About 6%, or 2,130, of the 35,621 ballots received during the primary election were collected at polling places on Tuesday, he said. In 2024’s primary, 2,220 voters cast ballots at a polling place, Seaman said.  “In Missoula County, more and more voters are voting by mail, and fewer are voting at polling locations,” he said.  Missoula County recorded 574 rejected ballots, with 306 of those resolved, Seaman said. About 44% were rejected for not including the voter’s birth year, and 29% for a mismatched signature. The number of rejected ballots is down from 1,090 in the municipal general election last fall and 644 in the May school election, Seaman said.  “We work hard to help voters be successful,” he said. “Hopefully, after we reach out, they only make that mistake in one election, not every election. We’re just catching up to the new normal.”  Seaman said he expects a higher number of rejected ballots in the November general election, which will likely see a higher turnout. But the percentage of the rejected ballots should be similar, he said. The primary election decided which candidates will face off in November in races for Montana’s two congressional seats, U.S. Senate seat, Public Service Commission seats and dozens of state House and Senate seats.  Of the 10 Montana House seats in the Missoula area up for election, three had competitive primaries to replace termed-out lawmakers. Fourth time’s the charm for Monica Tranel, who won the Democratic primary race against Reggie Spaulding to represent House District 92. Tranel, an attorney, previously ran for the Western congressional seat in 2022 and 2024 and the Public Service Commission in 2020. No Republican is running for the seat.  In the three-way Democratic primary for the House District 93 seat, Ben Davis received 41% of the vote, Nick Kujawa got 34% and Sam Kulla got 25%. Davis, executive director of Friends of the Children in western Montana, will face Republican Roy Handley in November.  Robin Kendall will face Republican Greg Woodward in November in the race for House District 94. Kendall, a business development team lead with insurance company ALPS, won the Democratic primary against Lisa Verlanic Fowler by 28 votes.  The election results are preliminary until the canvass in mid-June.  Public Notice  The city of Missoula will hold an open house next week for the public to review the new draft master plan for the North Reserve-Scott Street Urban Renewal District.  The plan will be updated to include the 235-acre Roseburg and Story House Montana site, part of which was annexed in January, and reflect current conditions and needs, according to the city. Roseburg intends to request annexation of the remaining property after the new plan is completed. The draft has been updated to include feedback from an open house in early April, an online survey and stakeholder interviews, city officials said.  “During the first phase of the master plan process, the project team heard from the community and key stakeholders that transportation, connectivity and safety improvements are at the forefront of the conversation and are strongly desired,” said Annie Gorski, deputy director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, in a statement.  The workshop will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at Child Start Inc., Headstart, 1001 Worden Ave. Childcare and a light meal will be provided.  Climate Smart Missoula is holding a 2026 wildfire and smoke outlook forum next week. Forum topics will include fire prediction forecasts, seasonal weather outlooks, drought and fuel conditions, long-term climate trends, wildfire preparedness and strategies to reduce smoke exposure and improve indoor air quality. Panelists include Alex Lukinbeal, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service; Kyle Bocinsky, with the Montana Climate Office at the University of Montana; Mike West, with the U.S. Forest Service and FireSafe Flathead; and Amy Cilimburg, Climate Smart’s executive director.  The event will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, and will be simulcast at two locations: the Cooper Room at the Missoula Public Library and the Flathead Community College in Kalispell. The forum will also be available on Zoom, and those interested in attending virtually can register online.  5 Things to Know in Missoula  The Missoula City Council Wednesday advanced the purchase of 28 acres southwest of the airport for a future trail and park. The council authorized the mayor to buy the land, part of the historic Milwaukee Rail corridor, from the Missoula County Airport Authority. The council also set a hearing for June 22 to vote on the use of $130,000 of 2018 Open Space Bond funds for the purchase. Zac Covington, the city’s open space program manager, said the project is the exciting next step in piecing together the next sections of the Milwaukee Trail. The land won’t be developed or open to the public right away, but will ideally have multiple access points and connect to other planned trails, he said. Council Member Amber Sherrill said the city must be opportunistic in acquiring land for the trail, which will eventually provide a valuable option for the growing Mullan Road neighborhood.   The Missoula County Commissioners Thursday approved a resolution exempting certain storage structures from building permit requirements. That includes sheds, garages, carports, pole barns or other structures on private property and not intended for human habitation. The structures would still require plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and would be subject to floodplain, shoreline, health department, fire and zoning regulations. County Building Official Kevin Heisler told the commissioners that 52 of Montana’s 56 counties don’t require building permits for these types of structures. The change keeps safety measures in place while streamlining processes for builders and residents, Heisler said.  The Missoula City Council Monday approved vaultless green burials at the city cemetery. A green burial does not use a casket made of metal or hardwood or includes a concrete liner. The burial may be allowed using an approved biodegradable green burial casket and if a death certificate is provided upon burial. Only one deceased may be buried within the plot at a depth of no less than three feet. A physician or their designee, coroner or mortician must provide documentation that the deceased has not been embalmed. Brett Gilman, the cemetery superintendent, said anything buried deeper than 18 inches should not be detected by wildlife. Several council members expressed support for the option. The council also approved language banning unauthorized drones or other unmanned aerial devices in the cemetery.  Mountain Line was named the best transit system of its size in the country by the Community Transportation Association of America last month. Mountain Line’s application highlighted the agency’s zero-fare service, fleet electrification and recent initiatives, including the seasonal shuttle to Marshall Mountain, according to a press release. In July, Mountain Line will launch new routes and increase frequencies, including a new route connecting the north Franklin to the Fort neighborhood and downtown. Routes three and four will offer higher frequency in response to ridership demand on the Northside and in East Missoula.  Missoula Food Bank and Community Center will provide free meals for children on weekdays throughout the summer, starting next week in some locations. Most meal sites in Missoula will open on Friday, June 12, or Monday, June 15. Missoula County Public Schools’ last day of school is Thursday, June 11. Meals will be distributed at Alberton School beginning June 8 and at Lolo School beginning June 15. A full list of locations and schedules is available on the food bank’s website. The post Deal closes for new hotel along Clark Fork appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less