Business Buzz: More cannabis, Highlander expands, downtown recyling

It looks like the former Taco John’s building at 623 W. Broadway in Missoula will be yet another cannabis dispensary. Topshelf Botanicals, a marijuana business out of Bozeman, has gotten a building permit and a cannabis business license for the location.

The Downtown Business Improvement District recently purchased and installed 15 new recycling bins on the sidewalks of downtown Missoula. The investment was supported by the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and the City of Missoula Climate Action Team.

Since 2006, the Downtown Business Improvement District has been responsible for the removal of garbage and recycling from the street cans in the district. Staff from the Downtown Missoula Partnership inspect and remove garbage from 110 street cans on a daily basis. Last year, more than 1,200 cubic yards of garbage were removed from the downtown district by the DMP’s maintenance crew. Recycling in downtown Missoula consists primarily of aluminum, plastic and small cardboard. Glass recycling is not available in the public right of way in downtown Missoula.

The 15 new, blue 36-gallon receptacles were located in high-traffic areas and some of the older receptacles were relocated to outlying areas. This is the first year of a three-year project, and 15 more receptacles will be purchased and placed in the next two years. The new additions bring the recycling bins to a total of 30.

“The Downtown BID is dedicated to ensuring Downtown Missoula is clean, safe and economically prosperous,” said Charlie Beaton, president of the BID board and owner of Big Dipper Ice Cream. “Our maintenance crew and Downtown Clean Team carry a significant amount of garbage out of our downtown, and more effective recycling will help keep recyclable materials out of the landfill. We are committed to helping our community reach its collective goal of becoming a zero-waste community by 2050.”

“The City of Missoula has committed to a zero-waste future, and community partnerships like this are the way we’ll get there,” said Leigh Ratterman, climate and sustainability specialist for the City of Missoula. “Public recycling bins in our downtown area not only provide additional opportunities to divert material from the landfill, but also help showcase Missoula’s environmental sustainability commitments to the people who live, work, and play in Missoula.”

Highlander Brewery in Missoula recently opened its second location in Salmon, Idaho.

The City of Missoula will host a community meeting about the Downtown Safety and Mobility Projects on Tuesday, May 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Wilma. The city has applied for a $25 million federal grant. 

The five transportation projects in the grant application include the restoration of Front and Main to two-way streets, the conversion of Higgins Avenue to three lanes from Broadway to Brooks, the widening of the Riverfront Trail from Orange to Levasseur, the gateways into the riverfront parks at Ryman and Pattee and an ADA ramp from the Beartracks Bridge to the riverfront parks and trails. Visit EngageMissoula.com for more information.

AniMeals is set to receive a $1,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their work for animals in Missoula.

“Our investment in AniMeals is part of more than $15 million in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love.

AniMeals is a nonprofit that operates a no-kill cat adoption center and an animal food bank serving Missoula and surrounding areas.

“We are thrilled to receive support from Petco Love to continue our lifesaving efforts for hundreds of pets in our community every year,” said Kyle O’Neill, executive director of AniMeals. “AniMeals’ mission has always been to help the pets most in need and exist as a No-Kill safe haven for our community.”