Residents raised sharp concerns at the Nov. 10 Missoula City Council meeting about the Midtown Commons project, telling council members they felt public engagement came too late and urging the city to require affordable and workforce housing and a larger public park.

The debate centered on several public commenters who said the developer selection and negotiations appeared to move forward with limited neighborhood input. Barbara Polley of the Southgate Triangle neighborhood said the Midtown Commons project "had little public input by the mayor or the city council until Oct. 23" and asked whether the city could hold another technical update with the developer's engineers before signing any contract. Polley also asked whether the development would include workforce or affordable housing and suggested "at least 20% affordable and 80% midrange." Mary Giuliani later said she was told at a Missoula Redevelopment Agency meeting that "we don't buy or sell land without city council approval," and asked when public input happens early enough to affect development agreements.

Several neighborhood speakers echoed that concern. Carrie Schreiber, representing the Southgate Triangle leadership team, said outreach to nearby businesses and residents has been weak and that community members feel a "bait and switch" from an affordable-housing focus toward market-rate housing and substantial commercial space. Katie Thompson, who owns property near Midtown Commons, asked the council not to "rush this through," saying it is hard for citizens to review studies and that senior and affordable housing needs might not be protected if a developer agreement lacks specific controls.

Mayor Andrea Davis responded that the Midtown Commons acquisition was guided by the Midtown master plan and a long public-engagement process, that the selected developer meets plan goals, and that staff will continue outreach. Davis pointed to an upcoming park visioning open house on Nov. 19 and asked the public to consult materials on Engage Missoula for background. "There's a ton of background information for how this project came to be and how the property acquisition came to be," she said, and encouraged additional ways to notify neighbors about the open house.

The city did not vote on any development contract at the meeting; council discussion and formal decision-making will occur when a specific development agreement or ordinance is brought forward. The mayor also said city staff and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency have worked with tribal partners on other land acquisitions (Marshall Mountain) and that staff are exploring ways tribal members can access city facilities and contribute to project interpretation and restoration efforts.

What happens next: the Parks Department will host a park design/visioning workshop on Nov. 19 at Jefferson School, and the public will be able to continue submitting feedback via Engage Missoula. No contract signatures or formal council approvals for Midtown Commons were recorded at the Nov. 10 meeting.