The Northern: A 7-Story Mixed-Use Development in Midtown Bozeman

Summary: A seven-story mixed-use development known as The Northern has been approved with conditions at 621 W. Mendenhall Street, currently the site of Eckroth Music. 

Plans call for an approximately 125,670-square-foot building with 81 residential units, 3,520 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, structured parking, resident amenities, and a rooftop deck.

What is The Northern development in Bozeman?

The Northern is a planned seven-story mixed-use building at the northeast corner of North 7th Avenue and West Mendenhall Street in Midtown Bozeman. The development is expected to include:

• 81 residential apartment units
• 3,520 square feet of ground-floor commercial space
• 75 structured parking spaces, including one full level below grade and two partial decks

• A rooftop amenity deck and shared resident amenities

   

The site sits within the Midtown Urban Renewal District and the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, though it is not within a designated historic district. The existing one-story commercial building is proposed to be demolished, and City records indicate the structure is not considered a contributing or eligible historic building.

Architecturally, the proposed design includes upper-floor step-backs, a taller and more transparent ground floor, and a mix of materials including stone veneer, metal siding, stucco, and concrete masonry. Streetscape improvements are planned along both North 7th Avenue and West Mendenhall Street, including wider sidewalks, pedestrian pathways, landscaping, lighting, and bicycle parking.

What is the current status of The Northern development?

The Northern has received conditional approval from the City of Bozeman. That does not mean construction starts immediately.

Before the project can move ahead, the applicant still has to satisfy several City requirements, including stormwater planning, an earth retention plan, lot aggregation, affordable housing compliance documents, water rights fees, parkland cash-in-lieu payment, and right-of-way approvals related to sidewalks, pavers, and bicycle parking.

The City’s approval also includes a Commercial Certificate of Appropriateness and demolition approval for the existing building. Because the property is located within the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, the project was reviewed against applicable design guidelines, even though the site is not located within a historic district.

What about the affordable housing component?

The Northern includes an Affordable Housing Plan with 8% of the units deed-restricted for households earning 80% of Area Median Income.

In exchange, the applicant is using Bozeman’s Type A Affordable Housing Incentives, which allow two additional stories of height in the B-2M zoning district. Under base B-2M zoning, buildings are generally limited to five stories or 60 feet. With the affordable housing incentive, The Northern is allowed to reach seven stories.

According to the staff report, the proposed building height is 78 feet, 10 inches to the top of the parapet. A rooftop elevator and stair penthouse extends above that height, but is exempt from the zoning district’s height limitation.

What is the planned parking?

The Northern is located within the Midtown Urban Renewal District, where minimum parking requirements do not apply to infill projects. Even so, the applicant is proposing 75 on-site parking spaces within the building.

Vehicle access would be provided from West Mendenhall Street and from the existing alley along the northern side of the property. The project also includes bicycle parking, with 82 spaces required and 96 spaces proposed.

The location is also directly adjacent to existing public transportation. The staff report notes that Streamline’s Blueline and Purpleline both have stops at the intersection of North 7th Avenue and West Mendenhall Street.

What other developments are happening in Midtown?

This is just one of many new projects reshaping Midtown Bozeman:

• A 4-story hotel is under construction at 507 W. Main Street, the former site of the City Center Motor Inn.
• Missouri Heights, a 5-story mixed-use building at 703 W. Mendenhall, has been approved.
• The Aspen 8 project, a 289-unit housing development behind the U-Haul building, has received preliminary approval.
• A building with 95 apartments at 811 W. Mendenhall has also been preliminarily approved.
• An income-restricted 96-unit apartment complex called The Lookout near the intersection of 7th Ave with Aspen Street.

• The Guthrie Building, a 4-story building with 91 units, located at North 5th and Villard, has been preliminarily approved.

   

What is the history of the Eckroth Music building?

Built in 1973, this building has been home to several well-loved Bozeman businesses. It started as Little Big Men Pizza Parlor, dishing out slices through the '70s and '80s. By the late ’80s, it had become the Video Library a locals' favorite for movie rentals and microwavable popcorn. Since the early 2000s, it’s been home to Eckroth Music.

The proposed development at 621 W. Mendenhall highlights the rapid transformation of Midtown Bozeman into a denser, more urbanized neighborhood. As the city evaluates these proposals, topics like affordable housing, walkability, and sustainable growth will remain at the forefront of public interest and policy discussion.

For updates on these developments as well as other information, sign up for our Local Info Newsletter. Shout out to Block Biome for keeping us up-to-date on development news.

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