Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1357477
ifelong Great Falls residents Brad Talcott and Linda Caricaburu are proving they will go to any lengths to do what is right for their community. What started as an improvement project at West Bank One to take advantage of the beauty of the river snowballed into the West Bank Landing development we see today. Originally an industrial location where they headquartered James Talcott Construction, third-generation owner Brad Talcott noted, "You only get so much river property," and he intended to make better use of it. Once the Staybridge Suites opened in 2009 at the original West Bank One development, people were visiting the area and were surprised to see what was available along the river. Industrial development historically tends to be along rivers for the sake of building cities. But modern conveniences allow us to take advantage of the aesthetic and recreational opportunities today. Talcott brought in new partners, Spencer Woith and Joseph Aline, to purchase six parcels of county property totaling more than 12 acres in 2014. The county had been attempting to parcel off the property for years, but the environmental cleanup costs were prohibitive for nearly any small-scale developer and would have continued to be so had the lots not been sold altogether. Talcott and his partners knew the only suitable approach was to see the big picture and create a development concept for the area. The petroleum contamination spread from the County property down to West Bank Park. By completion, the project had been the "largest petroleum cleanup [in the state] by a factor of two," Talcott was told. The Great Falls Development Authority, City of Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency all encouraged the partners to move forward with the project. West Bank Landing Development: A Vision for Great Falls in Motion 52 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org G R O W I N G G R E AT FA L L S L Photo by provided by Talcott Properties