community, the existing facilities in the city, the facilities that may be considered as competitors in the region, and events centers throughout the United States that would be considered comparable examples to the proposed facility. The application of that analysis is as follows:
Strengths (Existing attributes that are helpful to building an events facility.)
Quality of Life. The city and the region have an excellent quality of life, with an educated populace, a large and well-known university presence, beautiful surroundings, a thriving music and performance scene, and unlimited possibilities for outdoor activities.
Committed and Interested Leadership. A committed civic, community and business leadership within the city of Missoula is forward-thinking and acts in the best interests of Missoula and the area.
Positive and Supportive University of Montana Leadership. The University of Montana has a good relationship with the City of Missoula and the region, and the leadership of the university is supportive of the proposed multi-use events center. This is critical given that their arena, the Adams Center, is the only other similar facility in Missoula.
Community Interest. Interviews within the Missoula community reveal a great deal of support for projects that will enhance the city and area, including a possible multi-use events center. This was true even of professionals whose business included potentially competing with a new facility.
Population Base. While the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area is approximately 100,000, the regional population, those who live within 150 miles of the city, is over 300,000, and the media reach is approximately 450,000. The population of the local and regional areas has grown over the last ten years and continues to increase at a rate greater than the state or nation. This increasing population provides a growing base of businesses and individuals who would attend functions and events at a new events center. The increasing business base provides expanded opportunities for sponsorship, advertising and special event usage.
Easy Automobile Access. Interstate 90 gives drivers easy access to the City of Missoula from many of the regional population centers, including the cities of central and eastern Montana, as well as the Spokane, Washington and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho metropolitan area to the west.
Downtown Redevelopment. Downtown Missoula has seen improvement based on private investment and public leadership. A vibrant downtown consists of popular restaurants, shops and clubs, providing a more visible face of the city and drawing more visitors from the surrounding areas. This helps the community as a whole and proves to visitors that it is serious about a vision for itself, regardless of where the events center is located.
Missoula Multi-purpose Events Center Feasibility Study
Chapter 1 Page 5