Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

Bozeman Commissioners divied out nearly $1 million in federal grants to property owners affected by the March 5, 2009 downtown explosion.

The biggest chunk of the grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development goes to the F&H Building, which will replace the space formerly occupied by the Rockin' R Bar, Boodles, the Pickle Barrel and the Montana Trails Art Gallery. The $768,654 will allow it to move forward as a three story rather than a two story project.

"I think it'll add a huge amount to downtown. It's exactly what our downtown plan calls for," said Bozeman Mayor Jeff Krauss.

The American Legion also applied for part of the grant, yet the project is already under construction. In order to be eligible construction would have needed to be stopped for a three-month environmental impact study.

"We can't stop construction. I don't believe, because of the cost to our contractor, if we tell him, 'Hey, time out for 90 days.' I don't think that's gonna work," said American Legion Post 14 adjutant.

Commissioners elected to take the money that would have been put toward the Legion and use it for improving the alley behind the blast site for better public access. Almost $185,000 will go for that project.

Rockin' R Bar owner Mike Hope says he hopes to open his new bar in the F&H building on March 5, 2011, on the two year anniversary of the explosion.

The Bozeman City Commission also approved putting in a roundabout at the intersection of College Street and 11^th Avenue, replacing the four-way stop.