Historic Preservation outlines Montana Main Street tour, moves forward with hotel façade feasibility grant

Historic Preservation representatives told the Land Use Board they are sponsoring the Montana Main Street tour to showcase local historic sites and to pursue grant-funded work on a hotel façade feasibility study.

The representative said the Montana Main Street tour is scheduled for "the 29th" and will include visits to the museum, Main Street storefronts and a hotel. The program, the representative said, helps small towns access grant opportunities and raises the community’s profile. "We're doing basically the same thing," the representative said of prior tours, and noted state representatives and volunteers will participate.

The representative also reported that Historic Preservation is working with a hotel on a façade feasibility study supported by a grant and that the organization has selected a vendor to perform the work. The group said it will move forward with coordinating the study and related grant administration.

Why it matters: participation in Montana Main Street can open funding and technical resources for downtown restoration and economic development, especially in small, volunteer-run communities. Board members and volunteers discussed logistics and outreach to encourage attendance and participation.

Logistics and next steps: the historic-preservation group invited board members and the public to future meetings and said the next historic-preservation meeting is set for August 4 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers. The land use board noted a tentative next meeting of August 17 at 10 a.m. No formal vote or funding appropriation was recorded in the transcript; the report described ongoing planning and grant coordination.

The meeting adjourned after routine staff comments and scheduling.