🌱 Ferguson Farm Development Phase 2 + Family Donates $110K To MSU

Morning, everybody! It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Bozeman Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in our community today.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Cold with plenty of sun. High: 37 Low: 13.
• Saturday: Plenty of sunshine. High: 40 Low: 15.

Business owners and marketers in Bozeman: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Bozeman today:

1. Bozeman's Ferguson Farm is expanding into a 31-acre empty lot to the east with around 850,000 square feet of commercial and residential development proposed, including restaurants, hotels, commercial businesses, and possibly some medical offices. However, there is a parking shortage with only 883 parking spaces being provided, whereas the city code requires 1,500 spaces. Deputy Mayor Terry Cunningham suggested the different operating hours of the commercial spaces will solve any issues. Despite this, locals are still excited about the expansion. (KBZK News)
2. The family of Kathy Bryan, a Montana State University (MSU) graduate who died last June, has donated $110,000 to support women in MSU's engineering program. Half of the donation will go to the Kathy Bitner Bryan Memorial Scholarship, while the other half will create a fund to support MSU's Women in Engineering program for professional development and recruitment. Bryan, who hailed from Hardin and earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1979, had a 43-year career working with several major chemical companies. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
3. La Esquina, a Mexican restaurant with locations in New York City, has opened its first branch outside the city in Bozeman. The menu features traditional Mexican recipes that have been honed over centuries and brought together in a fast-paced urban setting in Mexico City before being brought to the U.S. The restaurant is located in the Cannery District and will be open from 5 p.m. to midnight from Tuesday to Saturday. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

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Today and tomorrow in Bozeman:

Friday, March 17

• St. Patty's Day Party At Bozeman Lodge (5:00 PM)
• Donny Elliot Band At Kountry Korner Café (5:30 PM)

Saturday, March 18

• Bozeman Winter Farmers Market At Gallatin County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Bozeman area at the link! (Bozeman Patch)
• Plans for a new residential development are being made on the west side of Bozeman, on a nearly nine-acre vacant site near Four Corners. The development will include 31 residential lots, four common open-space lots, and one public park lot and will have single-family homes and multi-family housing. (NBC Montana)
• Montana State University (MSU) is hosting its largest MSU Friday event of the year on Mar. 24, inviting prospective students and their families to tour campus, attend admissions and student housing information sessions, and learn more about engagement opportunities. You can register for the event here. (Montana State University)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! I'll see you soon.

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.