MISSOULA, Mont. – The potential purchase of the Southgate property in Missoula is stirring mixed emotions among residents. The project, one of the city’s largest, is moving closer to final approval, and city officials are optimistic about its benefits.
City Council Member Mike Nugent expressed enthusiasm about the project. “That neighborhood is under parked so we’d like to see a park there as well. So we have 13 acres in the middle of town. First of all, that’s a rarity, and it makes sense that the city should be a part of that so that we can, we can get that infrastructure and help the city standards and help people get that growing in the way that community has said they want,” Nugent said.
Despite this optimism, some local residents are skeptical about the project’s impact on their community. Carrie Schreiber, a resident, shared her concerns: “It doesn’t feel like Missoula. This is not our values. I understand housing, but that used to be balanced with need for Park. The purchase up on the north side that MRA is making right now, they’re committing to five acres apart on that one, we’d like to have something comparable here, because there are no parks in this neighborhood, this is going to eat up the very last bit of it.”
Another resident, Cathy Scribmer, echoed these sentiments. “We have very little open space, and very little green space down here and we’re about to be really crowded in. This is a really special place for a lot of us down here, we take care of this area, there’s a city easement that runs through here. We keep it cleaned up,” Scribmer said.
The final vote on the Southgate property project is scheduled for Monday, March 18, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers.
