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Neighbors press city for transparency, ecology and larger park at Southgate Crossing (Midtown Commons)
Summary
During the non‑agenda public comment period, multiple residents urged the city to release acquisition and developer agreements for the Southgate Crossing/Midtown Commons site, asked about remediation of subsurface wood fill, demanded tribal outreach and called for a larger publicly owned park and meaningful community engagement.
Dozens of Missoula residents used the meeting’s initial public‑comment slot on Nov. 17 to raise detailed questions and objections about plans for the publicly owned Southgate Crossing property, now referred to in city materials as Midtown Commons.
Speakers including Sarah Giuliani, Katie Thompson, Gwen Hoppe, Barbara Pulley, Mary Giuliani and neighborhood leaders criticized the timing and depth of public engagement, requested release of the city’s exclusive agreement and the purchase‑and‑sale documents with developer Miramar Companies, and sought the final proposals submitted by other developers who were not selected. Residents also asked whether the city will consider tax incentives, TIF dollars or abatement terms and how much of any such subsidies would be set aside for infrastructure.
Environmental questions included references to Missoula Economic Partnership site considerations that noted sub‑surface compressible wood fill (legacy sawmill material) in parts of the site and requests for ecological review and remediation plans. Several speakers urged the city to retain ownership of some parkland and to prioritize a larger park given the projected residential density (residents cited an estimate of 300+ housing units) and nearby loss of community amenities.
Community members also asked whether the city had consulted Native American leaders or local community land trusts, and whether the city had considered options connected to the land back movement for publicly owned parcels. Neighborhood leaders described grassroots outreach efforts (sandwich boards, flyers) and told council they want earlier, meaningful forums rather than a single set of 'open house' booths.
The mayor and staff acknowledged the concerns and pointed to upcoming workshops by Parks (noting a Wednesday session) and the formal public‑hearing process for subsequent phased development review. Several residents left written comments for the record.
Next steps: Staff and parks department indicated additional public engagement events are planned and the formal Midtown hearing will be scheduled; residents asked for release of relevant agreements before any sale or finalization.
