Research → Project Narrative (Lineage Draft)

PROJECT NARRATIVE

Railroad Urban Renewal District — Tax Increment Financing Application

Project: Exterior Restoration & Adaptive Reuse — 1316 Bozeman Avenue, Helena, MT

Current attachment (August 23, 2026): Diane’s Sunday reading, retained and built up — reading copy on the working site as narrative.html (Bring the light back). Paste from there into the City Word packet. This file is lineage. Do not file the older “wear of that long industrial life” draft below as if it were current.

Working project name: Bring the Light Back — 1316 Bozeman

Applicant (lessee): Stephen Banker / Joshua Tree Cabinetry

Building address: 1316 Bozeman Avenue, Helena, MT 59601

Owner of record: John Horne (Tax ID 2852; Northern Pacific Addition)

Tone (locked with Diane and Carter): pictures carry what still needs care. Words carry the craftsman, the Horne family, and the ~$28,000 already in. Do not call the building an eyesore.

1. Project Description

1316 Bozeman Avenue is a stone warehouse in Helena’s Railroad Urban Renewal District (Northern Pacific Addition; zoning CLM — Commercial Light Manufacturing). For decades it served Helena’s moving and storage economy — from 1949 through July 1, 2026 as Capital Transfer & Storage, the three-generation Horne family business (owner of record today: John Horne).

The building’s exterior now shows the wear of that long industrial life: broken and missing glazing, corroded window wells, openings filled with concrete, deteriorated pointing and stonework, failing gutters that threaten masonry, deteriorated man doors and rear barn doors, an inadequate ADA ramp, and an overhead door needing replacement. The new lessee, Stephen Banker of Joshua Tree Cabinetry — a Helena craft business founded in May 1992 and based in Montana since 1998 — seeks City TIF assistance to restore the exterior envelope so the warehouse can function as a working cabinetry shop while recovering its historic industrial character and protecting the structure for decades ahead.

District context (verified; not claimed as this building’s former name): The Bozeman Street railroad area included the State Liquor Warehouse, demolished in the 1935 Helena earthquakes; the State still owns the adjacent 1320 Bozeman parcel. Earlier working notes about Nash-Finch / mercantile occupancy of this tax parcel remain unproven and are not relied on as fact in this application pending deed chain, directory, or Sanborn confirmation.

Scope of work (exterior / site — TIF request focus):

  1. Restore / replace glazing and window assemblies on office and shipping elevations (see Opening Schedule + Window Strategy Memo).
  2. Remove concrete from historically filled window and door openings; restore openings with historically compatible assemblies.
  3. Repair / rebuild corroded window wells (including the well between this building and the adjacent state building).
  4. Repair / replace man doors; restore rear double barn doors; restore concreted rear door opening.
  5. Masonry repair and repointing (front and back).
  6. Rebuild rear gutters to protect stone walls.
  7. Rebuild / extend ADA ramp at office entrance.
  8. Replace overhead / rolling door as required for shop use.
  9. Paint / finish restored openings as appropriate.
  10. Proper disposal of removed materials.

Interior shop fit-out for Joshua Tree Cabinetry will proceed with private funds and is described here only to establish adaptive reuse and job activity — not as a TIF ask unless separately itemized and deemed eligible.

Existing vs new: All work above is rehabilitation of an existing historic industrial building. No new building construction is proposed under this request.

2. Answers to Measurable Objectives (RURD criteria)

1. Increased Taxable Valuation

Adaptive reuse of an under-activated warehouse into a full-time manufacturing / millwork shop increases the productive use of the property. Exterior restoration improves condition, curb appeal, and long-term structural integrity — supporting higher assessed improvement value over time and strengthening the District tax base. Per Lewis & Clark County tax card (Tax ID 2852, verified Aug 11, 2026): 2025 market value $716,000; 2025 taxes $12,716.16 — paid / current. Levy district explicitly coded TIF Rlrd URP (Railroad Urban Renewal). Adaptive reuse and exterior restoration support continued productive use and protect improvement value.

2. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Public TIF dollars are requested only for exterior envelope, accessibility, and character-defining openings that serve a public interest (safety, blight reduction, historic streetscape). Private investment covers lease, shop equipment, interior work, and the applicant’s 50%+ match. Benefit to the District: a living craft business on Bozeman, restored stone façade, safer wells and openings, ADA access, and a marketing story aligned with the Railroad District’s identity.

3. Leverage Ratio (private : public)

Applicant requests up to 50% match on eligible exterior costs. Private share = applicant cash + sweat equity + interior/shop investment + any other grants.

Leverage statement will be completed when the cost worksheet is locked.

4. Health and Safety

5. Historic Preservation

The project’s stated goal is to restore original exterior character — reopen filled openings, repair wells and arches, strengthen stone walls, and install glazing compatible with the building’s industrial historic visage. Work will be coordinated with City Community Development and the Historic Preservation Officer as required. Window product selection follows the separate Window Strategy Memo (repair-first / in-kind preference; vinyl quotes treated as provisional pending HPO/staff guidance).

6. Density, Infill, and Adaptive Reuse

This is textbook adaptive reuse: a long-serving warehouse, recently vacated by Capital Transfer (closed July 1, 2026), returns to active commercial use as Joshua Tree Cabinetry — bringing daily workers, suppliers, and customers into the Railroad District and supporting nearby businesses.

7. Cost of Public Services

The project does not request new water/sewer mains or street reconstruction. It reduces future public blight-response burden by stabilizing a contributing industrial building and improving sidewalk-frontage appearance and accessibility. No material increase in public service demand is anticipated beyond ordinary commercial occupancy.

8. Job Creation

Current headcount: [NEED]

Planned headcount at occupancy: [NEED]

Construction jobs estimate: [NEED]

9. Conformance with Railroad URD Plan, Growth Policy, and related plans

Aligns with RURD goals of economic vitality, job creation, private investment, and revitalization of the railroad corridor. Directly advances Historic Façade & Site Improvement priority and supports the District’s historic/cultural marketing objective through the companion public story of the building’s restoration.

10. Conformance with MCA 7-15-4288 (eligible TIF expenditures)

Requested costs are for rehabilitation of existing commercial property within the urban renewal area — façade/openings, masonry, accessibility, and related site improvements that cure blighting conditions and further the adopted Railroad Urban Renewal District Plan. Final eligibility of each line item will be confirmed with Community Development staff prior to Commission action. See MCA_7-15-4288_MAP.md.

3. Project Financing Narrative

Financing is private applicant investment + requested TIF match (≤50% of eligible exterior costs). No contingent industrial revenue bond is proposed at this time. Additional historic or small-business grants may be pursued in parallel; any award will be disclosed and will not double-bill the same invoice to TIF.

Critical compliance note (printed on City form): Costs to be paid with Railroad URD TIF funds will not be incurred prior to funding approval and satisfaction of any conditions of approval. Quotes and planning are underway; reimbursable construction starts only after approval and development agreement.

4. Timeline

MilestoneTarget
Eligibility discussion with Community DevelopmentImmediate — ask April Sparks / CD staff; confirm which deadline feeds which HURTIF agenda
HURTIF Advisory Board (recommends to Commission)Meets 2nd Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. (current board calendar)
Complete packet (owner letter, costs, jobs)Upon receipt of remaining [NEED] fields
City CommissionFollowing board recommendation
Construction startAfter development agreement
Exterior Phase 1 substantial completion[NEED — target date]

5. Ability to Perform

Stephen Banker has operated Joshua Tree Cabinetry for 30+ years — founded May 1992 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Montana since 1998 — designing, fabricating, and installing cabinetry and millwork locally in Helena. His own site frames the craft as collaborative design plus restoration that can “fit the history and architecture of a space.” Public directories list a small shop (Angi: about 4–5 cabinet makers). The applicant has already begun planning, photography, repair inventory, and obtaining window quotes — demonstrating readiness. Local specialty contractors (glass, masonry, doors) will execute exterior trades under permit.

Team note (public): Danielle Dowden appears as designer / site contact and is named on the Custom Glass portal for the window estimates — operational contact for quotes.

6. Attachments (packet checklist)

Prepared for Stephen Banker / Joshua Tree Cabinetry with research support. Numbers marked [NEED] intentionally blank — fill from source documents only.