Welcome to Story Mill
Many of us have awakened to the fact that we must do more and use less to prosper as individuals, communities and nations. We also recognize that there are places worth preserving, places rich in history, natural resources and local character. Welcome to Story Mill. As a community with a conscience, we aim to live lightly upon the land today, and to preserve it for future generations.
Architectural rendering of the Story Mill Center. Click to enlarge.
We all seek our neighborhood ideal – a place to live, work, learn, play and celebrate our lives. Story Mill is such a place. Here, we are preserving one of Bozeman’s great historical icons, and fulfilling its original promise with traditional neighborhood design and innovative, self-sustaining environmental and energy-saving technologies. The revitalized Story Mill will emerge as a vibrant mixed-use community with diverse people living together among trails, parks, public art, shopping and restaurants. Most important of all, residents will find themselves living in a kind of place that really matters to them and future generations.
History of Story Mill
In 1883, Story Mill was the largest flour mill in Montana and catalyzed the introduction of the railroad to Bozeman. Over the years, it became a local landmark, and now—123 years later—a mixed-use redevelopment plan will revive the historic brick structures and tall silos. The plan will enhance Bozeman’s connection to history and infuse the energy of a neighborhood built as a model of innovation and intelligent growth.
Mixed-use refers to the practice of containing more than one type of use in a building or set of buildings. In zoning terms, this can mean some combination of residential, commercial, industrial, office, institutional, or other uses.
About Story Mill
We are renovating and restoring the historic Story Mill into an eclectic and diverse neighborhood with a mix of residential and retail space that connects to the vibrancy of downtown Bozeman. Story Mill will include a range of housing options – all governed by an accountable set of green building practices, parks and more than 34 acres of open space and trails accessible by Story Mill residents and the greater public for everyone to enjoy.
The Story Mill team is working within the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council toward becoming the very first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Neighborhood Development in the United States and a model for intelligent, environmentally sensitive neighborhood development around the world. Story Mill is making every effort to apply the LEED programs to the design of the entire site for neighborhood design, energy, historic re-use, and protection of the existing creeks and wetlands.
Facts at a Glance
Total acreage….............................89 acres
Total open space…........................34.5 acres
Total housing….............................1,100 units
Total retail/commercial area…........200,000 gsf
LEED The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy savings, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Story Mill Vision & Values
Current and proposed zoning for the Story Mill district. Click to enlarge.
Community
- Enhance connection to Bozeman Centers, plazas, gardens
- Live/work/play neighborhood
- Public art and street vendors
- Walking and biking trails
- Diversity
- Abundant open space
Open space is undeveloped land or common areas in a planned community reserved for parks, walking paths or other natural uses.
Energy and Environment
- Protect wetlands and sensitive areas
- Bioswales to treat storm water
- Design for maximum energy efficiency
- Generate energy on-site
- Reduce the need for driving
Intelligent Growth
- Urban infill
- LEED/green
- Alternative to sprawl
- Economic/efficient
- Public transportation
- Natural resources
- Sustainability
Urban Infill refers to the conscious placement of investment and economic activity on sites that the market has previously abandoned or given low valuation.
Innovation and Design
- Mixed-use, multi-generational neighborhoods
- Range of housing types
- Design for energy and resource efficiency
- Use of local business resources
- Embrace local design sensibility
- Extension of Bozeman’s local character