1316 Bozeman Avenue — TIF Application

Restoration of the exterior of an existing historic stone warehouse for adaptive reuse as a working cabinetry shop. Scope: restore/replace window glazing; remove concrete from eight historically filled window openings and one rear door and restore them; repair corroded window wells (including the well between this building and the adjacent State building); repair man doors and rear barn doors; masonry repair and repointing; rebuild rear gutters; rebuild the ADA ramp; replace the overhead door. All work is rehabilitation of an existing building. No new construction.

1316 Bozeman Avenue is a historic stone warehouse in Helena's Railroad Urban Renewal District. From 1949 until July 1, 2026 it was Capital Transfer & Storage, the three-generation Horne family moving and warehousing business. The building now shows the wear of that long life — broken glazing, corroded wells, openings filled with concrete, deteriorated pointing, failing gutters, an inadequate ADA ramp. Stephen Banker of Joshua Tree Cabinetry, a Helena craft business founded in May 1992 and in Montana since 1998, is leasing the building to restore the exterior and run his cabinetry shop inside — in Diane's words, the building's "new lessee and future owner." The project keeps a working craft business in the District and recovers the building's historic industrial character. New in her revised narrative: with John Horne's blessing, JTC will brighten and restore the mural on the smaller building; two instances of graffiti will be removed; a sidewalk water spigot and an air station for cyclists' tires will be added for everyone passing through the District; and a historical display inside will tell the story of the building's owners and of Capital Transfer & Storage, "for anyone to enjoy."

The costs for which reimbursement is requested conform to the categories authorized by §7-15-4288, MCA, for expenditure of tax increment within an urban renewal area. Specifically: the window restoration, reopening of historically filled openings, masonry repointing, window-well repair, door restoration, and gutter work constitute improvement and rehabilitation of real property within the district and cure of blighted exterior conditions, consistent with §7-15-4288(1) and the redevelopment activities authorized under §7-15-4233, MCA; the handicapped entrance, panic bar, and extended ADA ramp serve accessibility and public safety; and the sidewalk water spigot and cyclist air station are modest public improvements benefiting the district at large. The project lies inside the Railroad Urban Renewal District (Ordinance 3214; levy "TIF Rlrd URP" on the county tax card) and serves the adopted RURD Plan's goals of revitalization, private investment, job retention, and preservation of historic character. Interior shop build-out and business equipment are excluded from this request and are privately funded. No work for which reimbursement is sought will be paid before City approval, and each line item will be confirmed for eligibility with Community Development staff before the development agreement is executed.