The new Marriott hotel set to open this week in downtown Missoula will receive a $780,000 loan to train workers for jobs plush with benefits and to complete the project’s construction, a community lender said Wednesday.

MoFi, a non-bank lender based in Missoula, received funding from the federal Office of Community Services and will award it as a below-market loan to Mercantile Investors LLC.

“It leverages federal funds to provide long-lasting, high-quality jobs with benefits and retirement plans,” said Dave Glaser, president of MoFi. “With that comes the opportunity for these individuals to increase wealth, gain self-sufficiency and improve the livelihood of their families and our community.”

By Martin Kidston