We’re honored to share that Stahly Engineering & Associates has received a 2026 ACEC Montana Engineering Excellence Award for our work on the HRDC Community Commons Campus in Bozeman!
This award recognizes engineering projects that make a lasting difference — and this one truly does.
From Blight to Belonging
Not long ago, the site that is now the Community Commons Campus was a blighted and empty stretch of land beside the railroad tracks in an industrial part of town. HRDC’s essential services were scattered across Bozeman: a cramped warming shelter in an old roller rink, a pay-what-you-can restaurant miles away, and offices downtown.
The spaces meant to serve the community were disjointed, spread out, and undersized.
Today, that same site has become a place of connection, dignity, and hope.
A Campus Built for Community
The Community Commons Campus brings together HRDC’s programs — food, housing, emergency shelter, and education — into one welcoming, walkable location.
Market Place houses the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and Fork & Spoon, Montana’s only pay-what-you-can restaurant, alongside a grocery-style market, commercial kitchen, and classrooms. Just north, Homeward Point, Bozeman’s first year-round emergency shelter, offers family spaces, supportive services, and real pathways toward housing stability.
Engineering That Enables Impact
Stahly Engineering provided comprehensive civil engineering and project management services for the campus — from surveying, grading, and site planning to stormwater design and utility extensions.
Building on a former fill site brought extraordinary challenges. Our team worked with the geotechnical consultants to design specialized foundation systems using rammed aggregate piers to stabilize the ground and safeguard against settlement. Stormwater systems were carefully engineered to handle major storm events. Every detail — from accessibility to utility routing — was guided by one goal: to create a safe, functional, and enduring space for the community.
More Than a Project
The result is far more than new buildings. It’s a campus that restores dignity, strengthens community, and provides hope for generations to come.
As HRDC President and CEO Heather Grenier shared:
“Stahly has been part of the foundation for so many of HRDC’s successful developments… We could not imagine building our Community Commons Campus without them.”
We’re deeply grateful to HRDC and our project partners for the opportunity to help bring this vision to life. Together, we transformed a blighted industrial site into a beacon of belonging — and we’re honored that ACEC Montana has recognized the power of this collaboration.