Trinity Center development in Helena faces delays over traffic, subdivision review

The Trinity Center project in Helena has stalled in the city review process while planners and developers work through subdivision and traffic questions that will shape whether more than 40 acres behind Lowe’s and Target can move forward.

Development on the site began around 10 years ago. Two components are complete: Helena Self Storage, finished in 2016, and Home2 Suites, finished in 2017. The remaining parcel - described in reporting as more than 40 acres behind Lowe’s and Target - is the focus of a current application to annex and subdivide the land into new lots for phased development.

City of Helena planner II Michael Alvarez said, “The current application was submitted a year ago at this point.” He added, “It’s gone through three submittals now.” The filing is a minor subdivision request, which would break the parcel into five lots or less, and it is being processed through the city’s annexation and subdivision review process.

Traffic performance at the intersection of N. Sanders and E. Custer has emerged as a central barrier to approval. “The area is already seeing a poor-performing intersection over at N. Sanders and E. Custer,” Alvarez said. He emphasized how drivers already experience congestion, noting, “If anybody’s been going to Lowes or Buffalo Wild Wings, they’d have experienced that.” City planners have identified traffic as one of the biggest sticking points for the development so far.

Project proponents named in coverage include the Resurrection Cemetery Association, part of the Diocese of Helena, and Trinity Restoration LLC. Current plans call for the Trinity Center to be developed and annexed into the city in phases. Zoning around Target, Shopko, and Lowe’s is B-2; that district allows a range of commercial uses and, as noted in reporting, “is not just for large stores, apartment buildings can also be built in B-2 zoning.” That zoning flexibility means the site could support retail, multifamily housing, or mixed uses if the subdivision and annexation proceed.

For residents and nearby businesses, the review process affects traffic, infrastructure planning, and the timing of any new development. A prolonged review or required traffic mitigation could delay construction and shape whether the city or developers must fund intersection improvements. The record as reported does not include a developer timeline, traffic studies, permit conditions, or precise submission dates beyond Alvarez’s summary of the application history.

Several other organizations and planning documents use the name “Trinity Center” in other states; those entities are unrelated to the Helena development. For the local project, the next steps remain the city’s annexation and subdivision review process and further submittals by the applicant. Helena residents and business owners who use N. Sanders and E. Custer should monitor the city planning department for updates and upcoming public review as traffic mitigation and lot configuration questions are resolved.