BOZEMAN, Mont. — Founded in 1864, Bozeman has transformed from a small town of horse-drawn carriages, trains and trolleys, and Ford Model T’s into the bustling Main Street hub of the 21st century.
“I think one of the biggest things about downtown Bozeman is that it’s kept the charm,” said Lauren Hutson, marketing manager of Mōka Boutique — a store rooted in the city’s historic buildings.
“We used to be down at the Bon Ton building. We were in there for about 35 years. It was originally The Root,” Hutson said.
That changed when an opportunity arose to move into another historic Main Street location.
“We kind of jumped on it, and now it’s been about two years that we’ve been working toward it. We’ve been open for about two months now,” Hutson said.
WATCH: Cooper Black Building downtown Bozeman
Mōka Boutique now operates out of the Cooper Black building — the oldest standing structure left on Main Street. Some of the bricks date back to 1872.
“It’s been a really, really fun experience, especially because we got to do it from the ground up,” Hutson said.
The boutique was one of the first tenants in the newly renovated Cooper Black building, which finished construction in the past year.
“It was cool because they kept the entire front facade, and everything else is brand-new,” Hutson said.
That preserved facade is part of Bozeman’s Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, or NCOD.
“It was created in 1991 by the city of Bozeman to apply within areas in our historic downtown and surrounding the historic downtown, which includes nine national historic districts,” said Erin George, Bozeman’s community development director.
The NCOD protects more than 4,000 historic properties, requiring design reviews for any external work done to these structures.
“Bozeman has incredible history, and we have beautiful buildings, beloved neighborhoods — all of that has been factored into the city’s historic preservation program over the years,” George said.
The guidelines for the Historic Preservation Program and NCOD were first adopted in 2006 and have had only minor updates.
“It’s important that our guidelines and regulations are kept up to date. So it’s time for us to take a look at them, because they haven’t been updated since 2015,” George said.
The city is now launching an NCOD upgrade project — and they want community input.
“We are interested in hearing from the public — what is working, what is not working — to determine how we can update them to make them even better and more usable to ensure the best possible outcome for the structures,” George said.
For Hutson, working in a building preserved by these protections is something worth fighting for.
“In Montana in general, a lot of places are growing and getting bigger. I think the more that we can keep these historic buildings intact and keep small business in town is great,” she said.
A Community Open House will be held April 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Bozeman Events Space in the North Ballroom, 14 S. Tracy Ave., to discuss proposed updates.
