By Bay Stephens EBS Editorial Assistant
BIG SKY – Like the seasons, Town Center is in the midst of change. In partnership with the Simkins family, Lone Mountain Land Company broke ground on Sept. 20 for the newest addition to Big Sky’s downtown: The Plaza Lofts. A mix of commercial and residential space, the building is scheduled to be completed during the 2018-2019 ski season.
The Plaza Lofts are designed to look like a rustic warehouse converted into a commercial and residential space. Exposed ceilings and steel will highlight the industrial style in the residences.
“The Plaza Lofts will merge the design of the newer contemporary buildings built in the Town Center with a more historical slightly urban aesthetic,” Bayard Dominick, LMLC’s vice president of planning and development, said in a press release.
The 9,000-square-foot ground-level floor will host five new businesses, four of which have already signed leases.
Two restaurants, a fashion boutique and a boutique marketplace, comprise the committed businesses so far. The Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge will serve fresh seafood and Asian cuisine while The Barrel Room, owned by a Bozeman winemaker, will serve wine and cocktails accompanied by fare described as “tapas-style bites.”
The locally-owned Sky Boutique will offer current women’s fashion inspired by European and mountain living. A boutique marketplace carrying handcrafted, American-made art and accessories will increase gift-buying options for Town Center shoppers.
The upper levels of The Plaza Lofts will consist of 20 one- or two-bedroom apartments for year-round Big Sky residents. In a phone interview, Dominick said rent will likely be similar to the building next door, where one-bedroom units are rented for $1,300 and two-bedroom units for go for $2,000 per month.
LMLC’s other Town Center projects include the 47 Town Center building and the Lone Mountain Land Company Building, homes to The Lotus Pad and Compass Café, respectively. The Wilson Hotel is another project in the works, slated for a June 2019 grand opening.
The Plaza Lofts will build upon a larger plan for Town Center calling for commercial and residential development along Town Center Avenue, starting at its intersection with Ousel Falls Road and continuing east to Roxy’s Market.
The local development branch of CrossHarbor Capital Partners, LMLC manages the planning, entitlement, building, marketing and sale of real estate communities around Big Sky. They oversee CrossHarbor’s development of Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and Moonlight Club and have partnered with the Simkins family for the master planning and development of Town Center.
Dominick said the commercial space “will help add to the downtown, pedestrian-friendly shopping and restaurant scene,” while the residential element will result in more people living in and vitalizing Big Sky’s downtown.
The Plaza Lofts will be located between the Wilson Hotel and the 47 Town Center building that houses the Spice and Tea Exchange and The Lotus Pad.
