Bozeman Build Report #25
August 5th-11th 2024
Howdy makers of Montana
Welcome back to the Bozeman Build Report covering trade related activities happening in Montana and around the Northern Rockies. Today were covering Gibson guitars, more BZN developments, wheat, Billings wind storm, Superfund ground break, 49 mile trail in County 49, Harlowton new Hospital, Glacier and Whitefish projects, Helena round abouts, and planes on trains.
Thank you to everyone for reading the build - this edition marks half a year since we started. Please enjoy the next 5 minutes covering what Montana is made of.
Small pull off heading up hill toward Logan Pass on Going to the Sun Road
Keep the saw sharp and tell us what your working on,
Ps - Support the Bozeman Build by marketing with us! Reach out to daniel@blockbiome.com to sponsor an edition or place an ad.
When, what, and who is the Bozeman Build? The BB is a 1x/week free email newsletter delivered every Monday morning focused on mountain West trades with an emphasis on Montana. We are not a financial or building advisors.
Bozeman and Montana Trade Pulse
Bozeman trade pulse
Mon, August 5th - A lightning-caused wildfire has burned 3.5 acres in the South Cottonwood drainage south of Bozeman.
Local projects in the works
City of Bozeman Project Docs (Projects with Revision activity dated August 5th - 9th 2024) sourced from the Cities Planning Project Information Portal.
23079 - TIDAL WAVE AUTO SPA NORTH 19TH A
23182 - Build a new commercial duplex with accessory living spaces at the upper level.
This is the most residential looking commercial build i’ve seen. Looks great!
24219 - Special Use Permit for a radio tower! A 70 ft wireless communication facility (monopole) contained within a 52 ft x 39 ft fenced compound
24371 - Four story mixed use building. The basement is mechanical and storage. The first floor is comprised of 3 commercial units and 5 single car garages. The second floor has 2 live work units and 2 residential units. The third and fourth floors have 4 residential living units each.
22389 - Gran Cielo Block preparing 4 lots from raw to improved land
Gibson Bozeman
While production of Gibson Acoustics started in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Nashville, TN for a period, Bozeman was identified as an ideal location for the new acoustic facility after Gibson purchased the Montana-based Flatiron Mandolin company in 1987. The relatively stable and dry climate in Bozeman is advantageous in building acoustic guitars, which can be greatly affected by swings in temperature and humidity. The early days in Montana marked the rebirth of Gibson’s flat-top guitars in the eyes and ears of artist, dealers, and fans. Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman currently employs 230 people. - Gibson.com
Combine Convoy
Its wheat harvest season in MT! According to the 2023 State Agriculture Overview, Montana produced 186,705,000 BU of combined Wheat (summer + winter) equating to $1,375,965,000 in production value (at a 7.35 $ / BU spot price). Seen on I-90 between Manhattan and Belgrade.
Montana trade pulse
August 2024 USDA Montana Newsletter
Aug 06, 2024 - Massive wind storm hammers through Billings
Aug 07, 2024 - Dirt moving in first Superfund cleanup project in Butte
August 07, 2024 - The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that more than $10 million of grant funding has been allocated to communities and affordable housing organizations to help reduce homelessness and increase housing stability.
Aug 8, 2024 - Montana will receive $700 million to advance the nation’s first transmission project bridging the eastern and western grids, a step described as critical to U.S. energy reliability. The U.S. Department of Energy grant, announced Tuesday by Gov. Greg Gianforte in a press release, will advance the North Plains Connector, a 415-mile, high voltage, direct-current line between Montana’s Colstrip substation and Center, North Dakota. The North Plains Connector is a $3.6 billion project.
Aug 8, 2024 - Missoula County to seek additional taxes for infrastructure construction and repairs. A mill levy that would raise about $1.8 million annually for public infrastructure.
Aug 08, 2024 - Paradise Valley plans 49 mile pedestrian trail connecting Livingston to Gardiner
Aug 08, 2024 - Aquatic invasive species cleaning stations now at Swan, Holland lakes
Photo by: Kiana Wilson/MTN News
August 9, 2024 - Construction begins on a new hospital in Harlowton. The new 36,000 square-foot facility is scheduled for completion by the end of next year. Wheatland Memorial Healthcare in Harlowton is more than 70 years old and staff say it’s hard to keep the building up to date with modern medical standards.
August 9, 2024 - Montana Technologies announces agreement with Climate Impact Corporation to collaborate on atmospheric water generation for renewable hydrogen production.
Aug 09, 2024 - BILLINGS — At the Montana Women's Prison, inmates have the opportunity to learn necessary life skills and trades for their life post-incarceration. This August, inmates are learning two basic types of welding from experts.
August 11, 2024 - New film highlights Anaconda Company history in Black Eagle. The history of the Anaconda Smelter Company in Black Eagle has been documented in a new film titled, “Spirit of the People.”
NW MT visit
My family visited Montana last week spending our time near Whitefish. Here are some trails, developments, and buildings that stuck out around Glacier NP and Whitefish.
Glacier NP
Taking a second to appreciate how all the trails and roads are perfectly woven into the landscape.
The Quarry Corral
The Quarry, a Whitefish Montana HOA development with 65 units and a community clubhouse . When these were being built the units were starting at $340,000 (according to an old google street view sign) now there are 3 Zillow listings at $749k, $869k, and $925k with a monthly HOA dues being around $500/mo (depends on unit). Good location, poor views, price per square foot North of $800.
Post frame barn with peeled log beams
Black Star serving Jeremiah Johnson
An absolute beauty of a steel space surrounded by giant steel factory style windows. Check out Black Star MT here
Helena round about art works
Mechanical snails off Butte Ave and N Sanders art by Kirsten Kainz. It must be fun acquiring all the raw rusty materials (mostly mechanical components).
Phase 2 of the Cathedral of St. Helena restoration underway
Construction on the Cathedral of St. Helena began in 1908 and was completed in 1914. It cost $645,000, which would be about $13.4 million to build today. Gary Howes, chief operating officer of the Durable Restoration Company, said they initially were just looking at some minor repairs from that storm but discovered in the process a lot more work needed to be done. The 109-year-old cathedral sustained damage from a powerful wind storm a couple of years ago, which displaced clay tiles on the southern steeple, which also needed stabilization. The Spires are 230 feet from the ground.
Planes on Trains
BNSF hauling a fuselage South of Montana City on Saturday August 10th.
Is this longer than wind mill components? Too big or expensive to be shipped via truck?
MDT News
20240809-115618 | Asphalt Milling Expected To Begin In Wolf Creek
20240809-104316 | MDT Completes Work On MT 287 Near Virginia City
20240806-125136 | Proposed Safety Improvements On Buffalo Trail Road
20240805-131709 | Construction Begins On South Of Missoula Bridge Preservation
Commodities
Covering volatility, building materials, and commodities of the Northern Rockies prices as of Sunday August 11th gathered from tradingeconomics.com
Volatility
US natural gas futures traded above $2.10 per MMBtu on Friday, marking an over 8% increase for the week supported by a return of warmer temperatures and positive reports
Cocoa futures surged past $8,900 per tonne, their highest in over seven weeks, as traders reassessed supply concerns in the key producing region of West Africa. Increasing 20.63% last week.
6-10 day weather outlook
Mellow weather increasing in temp as you go further East into the plains with an above average precipitation outlook. Based on the 6-10 day Outlooks issued by the National Weather Service.
Montana History - Going-to-the-Sun Construction
Along about 1911, just after the formation of Glacier Park, Superintendent William Logan initiated plans for a road across the park. Prior to then there was just a dirt road traveled by horse or wagon or on foot. The name “Going-to-the-Sun” derives from Native Americans who considered the sun sacred and the path to the closest point also sacred. Bob Marshall, chief topographer of the U.S. Geographical Survey, recommended a road system to connect all the scenic points in the Park.
It took about 20 years and a lot of engineering to build the road connecting the east to the west sides. In July, 1933, a big rendezvous was held at Logan Pass to officially open the road to the public. Blackfeet, Kootenai, Flathead, and Salish natives joined the officials in the celebration. Logan Pass on the Continental Divide is 6,646 feet high.
Road length: 50 miles from West Glacier to St. Mary.
Road width: 22 feet, except for 10 miles along the Garden Wall, which are narrower.
Eight bridges at Belton, Snyder Creek, Avalanche Creek, Logan Creek, Haystack Creek, Baring Creek, St. Mary River, and Siyeh Creek.
30,000 linear feet of pipe and boxed drainage culverts faced with native stone.
Retaining walls of native stone, most notably the Triple Arches and the Golden Stairs.
40,000 feet of historic native stone guard rails.
Source: Distinctly Montana - Building a Miracle: The Construction of the Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park implemented a pilot vehicle reservation system in the summer of 2024. Vehicle reservations are required beginning May 2024. -Recreation.gov. No permits are required from the East entrance all hours and from 3pm-6am from the West.
