Development on The Bozeman Daily Bee

The Dillon Cinema Deserved Better Than a Taco Bell

Wed, 06 May 2026 09:00:00 -0600

Big Sky Cinema in Dillon is closing after decades and the building is being sold to become a Taco Bell. I don’t live in Dillon, but this still feels personal. When a town loses its movie theater to a fast food chain, something has been decided for that town without its permission.

I’m not against Taco Bell. I’ve eaten there. But there are already places to get a burrito in Dillon. There was only one place to see a movie. Now there will be zero places to see a movie and two places to get a burrito. The math does not favor culture.

Bozeman Aims to Land 1,000 New Jobs; Does Not Specify Where They Will Live

Tue, 05 May 2026 07:45:00 -0600

The City of Bozeman announced Monday an ambitious economic development initiative aimed at attracting 1,000 new jobs to the Gallatin Valley over the next three years. The plan includes targeted recruitment of technology firms, manufacturing operations, and remote-work-friendly companies. It does not include any corresponding plan for where 1,000 additional workers might sleep.

“This is about economic vitality,” said Bozeman Economic Development director Teresa Holt. “We want diverse, high-paying jobs that allow people to build careers here.” When asked what a career-building salary would need to be to afford the median Bozeman home price of $742,000, Holt said that was “a separate conversation.”

Dillon Cinema Closes, Sold to Taco Bell; Town Loses One of Its Remaining Reasons to Stay Up Past Eight

Tue, 05 May 2026 07:30:00 -0600

Big Sky Cinema in Dillon has permanently closed after decades of operation, with the property sold to a Missoula-based Taco Bell franchisee. The transaction replaces one of Beaverhead County’s last remaining evening entertainment options with a restaurant that closes at midnight, which in Dillon terms is practically a nightclub.

“It’s the end of an era,” said longtime patron Gary Jessup, 71. “We used to take the kids there on Fridays. Then we took the grandkids. Now there’s nowhere to take anybody, unless they want a Crunchwrap.”

Belgrade 'Donut' Finally Gets Development Plan; Residents Still Unclear What the 'Donut' Is

Mon, 04 May 2026 07:30:00 -0600

The City of Belgrade and Gallatin County announced this week that they have reached an agreement to transition development oversight of the “Belgrade Donut,” a ring of unincorporated land surrounding the city that has confused residents, frustrated developers, and delighted exactly one category of person: people who enjoy explaining obscure zoning terminology at parties.

“The Donut is the area outside Belgrade city limits but within its planning jurisdiction,” said Gallatin County planning director Steve Erickson. “It’s not technically Belgrade, but it’s not not Belgrade. The development standards have historically been — let’s say — ambiguous.”

Four Corners Gains Third Storage Unit Facility; Community Wonders What Everyone Is Storing

Sun, 03 May 2026 09:00:00 -0600

A third self-storage facility is under construction at Four Corners, joining two existing facilities in what is rapidly becoming the Gallatin Valley’s most concentrated repository of things people bought but no longer have room for.

The new facility, operated by SecureBox Montana, will offer 340 climate-controlled units ranging from 5x5 closet-sized spaces to 10x30 units large enough to store a boat, a marriage’s worth of furniture, or the optimistic purchases of someone who believed their garage would always be sufficient.

BEE INVESTIGATION: The Belgrade Donut — Who Decides What Gets Built in the Hole?

Sat, 02 May 2026 16:00:00 -0600

For years, a ring of unincorporated land surrounding Belgrade — known locally and bureaucratically as the “Belgrade Donut” — has existed in a jurisdictional twilight zone where development rules are applied with the consistency of a coin flip and the transparency of a gravel pit.

The Bozeman Daily Bee spent two weeks investigating who, exactly, decides what gets built in the Donut. The answer, it turns out, is: it depends on who you ask.

Bozeman Wastewater Upgrade Described as 'Major Win' by People Who Think About Wastewater

Sat, 02 May 2026 13:30:00 -0600

A new lift station connecting the Riverside community’s wastewater to the Bozeman treatment plant went online this week, a development that officials called “a milestone for regional infrastructure” and that everyone else greeted with polite nodding and a change of subject.

“This is genuinely exciting,” said Bozeman Public Works Director Janet Kilmer, standing beside the lift station in a hard hat while a small crowd of engineers and municipal employees applauded. No members of the general public attended the ribbon-cutting, though a man walking his dog paused briefly before continuing on.