Office project starts in Billings, Montana

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Aug. 23--One of the last big chunks of undeveloped land in Billings, sitting in the heart of the most densely populated square mile in Montana, soon will feel the scrapes and cuts of graders and dozers.

Beginning Monday, except for local access, Central Avenue will be closed from South 29th Street West to South 31st Street West for three weeks as heavy equipment operators start preparing the site at 2900 Central Ave.

Billings developer Bill Hanser is kicking off Brookshire Commons, a professional office, retail and apartment complex on eight acres of a 16-acre parcel southwest of Central and Brookshire Boulevard. That site lies between Lamplighter Square and Target and the Hunter's Point Apartments.

"Billings, commercially, is definitely on the radar. We have a lot of people moving in," Hanser said. "People like this area for exposure and traffic count."

Hanser Construction is building 48,000 square feet of professional and commercial office space, or eight buildings on eight sites. Three of the commercial lots already are sold. And next year, he'll start building a 74-unit, three-story apartment building.

According to the demographics, more people live in the area surrounding the future Brookshire Commons than any other square mile in the state. Population numbers from 2006 counted nearly 4,717 households with 11,462 residents. The area also is high-growth and relatively high-income.

The average age was 50 in 2006, and the average income was $53,513.

Rather than the cookie-cutter zoning where office buildings are bunched together, homes are clustered and retail stores sit apart and everybody relies on cars to get around, this development tries to blend the three uses.