Construction of the Crow Innovation Center in Crow Agency, Montana, continues to make steady progress, bringing an exciting vision for entrepreneurship, workforce development, and economic growth on the Crow Reservation closer to reality.
Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation (Plenty Doors CDC), a member of the Mountain Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition, received funding through the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge to support the design, engineering, and construction of this transformational project.
Architectural rendering of the Crow Innovation Center building.
“Plenty Doors started this work to promote healthier communities by creating more vibrant economies. As the saying goes ‘Your zip code determines your health more than your genetic code.’ Completing the Crow Innovation Center and helping business succeed is one step toward changing our zip code.”
Charlene Johnson (Crow), Founding Executive Director, Plenty Doors CDC
Now more than 50% complete (as of June 2026), the two-story, 7,000-square-foot facility remains on schedule for completion in December 2026. Once complete, the Crow Innovation Center will serve as a hub for business creation and community development, featuring business incubator suites for entrepreneurs and small businesses, office space for Plenty Doors CDC, small business support services, and dedicated workforce training and educational space.
Designed with sustainability and long-term resilience in mind, the building features a highly insulated wood-frame structure, fiber cement exterior siding, modern windows with architectural shutters, and infrastructure to support a future solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Site improvements also include landscaping, sidewalks, and stormwater management.
The building exterior is currently wrapped with a weather-resistant barrier (Tyvek), and the roof is protected with underlayment as crews prepare for roofing and siding installation. The building’s distinctive roofline is now visible as construction continues.
First Floor – the first-floor corridor serves the future business incubator suites. These tenant spaces will provide affordable commercial space for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Second Floor – current work includes mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire sprinkler rough-in throughout the future Plenty Doors CDC office area.
The project builds on a vision first identified during Plenty Doors CDC’s 2018 strategic planning process, which highlighted the lack of commercial infrastructure as a significant obstacle for entrepreneurs on the Crow Reservation. With virtually no new commercial construction in Crow Agency for more than fifteen years, Founding Executive Director Charlene Johnson recognized the need for affordable, professional space where local businesses could launch and grow.
Today, that vision is becoming reality through the combined support of the EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge and additional funding from project partners. Beyond creating much-needed commercial space, the Crow Innovation Center is expected to strengthen the local economy by supporting Native entrepreneurs, expanding workforce development opportunities, creating jobs, encouraging private investment, and helping keep local spending within the Crow community.
“As we help entrepreneurs grow and keep spending within the community, it lays the foundation for long-term economic stability.”
Zac Birdinground (Crow), Owner Representative and Project Manager for Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation
Birdinground also emphasized the broader impact of the project, noting, “Healing, along with education and workforce development, are some of the most important things that I think can help us out of the situations we’re in.”
As construction continues throughout 2026, the Crow Innovation Center represents more than a new building—it is an investment in the future of the Crow Reservation and a catalyst for lasting economic opportunity and community prosperity.
To learn more about Plenty Doors and their work, visit their website at www.plentydoorscdc.org.
