Vision for downtown Missoula, Montana – Master plan a guide, not map, for development

As one law firm prepares to break ground in the city center on an estimated $14 million building, the Missoula Downtown Master Plan awaits finishing touches.

The new Garlington Building will sit at the northeast corner of West Broadway and Ryman Street, and will rise six stories. The project, a feat to finance, is a boon for Garlington, Lohn and Robinson, a growing firm. The classic structure will represent a significant investment in the downtown and a notable change in its landscape.

It is not, however, one forecast in the Downtown Master Plan. So while the building is many things for Missoula – a new look, an example of cutting-edge green technology – it also illustrates that major developments downtown won’t always happen according to plan.

“There’s no question that despite a master plan, people are going to do what they want to do,” said Gary Chumrau, managing partner of Garlington, Lohn and Robinson. “But I do think a master plan for future growth is important.”

By KEILA SZPALLER of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/07/20/news/local/news04.txt