From boom to business

Williston development begins to catch up with break neck growth

BY KRIS BEVILL

For several years now, overwhelming growth related to the Bakken oil boom has pushed Williston, N.D.’s infrastructure and amenities to its breaking point But in 2013, the community began to see a light at the end of the tunnel Shawn Wenko, assistant direc tor of Wil liston Economic Development, says development has begun to catch up with demand in the oil hub and the town has moved “from a boom to a business model ”

That’s not to say business activity or interest in new ventures has slowed The Williston Economic Development office logged more than 1,500 developer contacts in 2013, including in-person inquiries, phone calls and emails. And the business climate continues to be the envy of the nation “I would say it’s almost extraordinary,” Wenko says

The oil and gas industry grew by 10 percent or more in 2012-’ 13, but other industries logged even larger growth numbers, which Wenko says is an indicator that Williston is settling in for long-term growth. He sees it as part of a succession plan of growth to saturation which began several years ago with crew camp housing, followed by hotels, then apartments and other housing and, finally, supporting service industries. In the last three years, 1,600 hotel rooms have been added to Williston and a record number of apartment units are coming online. Wenko dubbed 2013 as “the year of the restaurant.” Thirteen restaurants opened in Williston in the past year, including national chain restaurants and individual eateries such as Williston Brewing Co , which plans to model a national franchise on its flagship location in Williston

Wenko believes this year will be the year of retail “We should see some big announcements in 2014 for retail and that’s going to be exciting because it’s what the people of Williston have wanted for a long time and they’ve been very patient,” he says

Other quality of life improvements are on tap for Williston in the coming year, including the opening of the Williston Area Recreational Center in March The impressively sized $70 million facility, designed by JLG Architects, will feature a water park, tennis courts, basketball courts and an elevated walking track among other amenities When finished, it will be the largest facility of its kind in North Dakota.

The economic development office and community leaders are also focusing more intently on combating some of the negative perceptions regarding the community. Not all issues can be immediately remedied, however One of the biggest challenges facing developers in and around Williston is what Wenko calls the “ area energy inflation factor.” Land prices and goods and services generally cost 10 to 15 percent more in that area compared to elsewhere in the region, and labor shortages are an ongoing concern.

Other issues, such as crime rates and housing, are often exaggerated through misinformation, according to

Katie Long, communications director of Williston Economic Development.

In an effort to alleviate misconceptions about the town, Long is spearheading an initiative known as “The Real Williston” which will focus on providing in-depth information on 10 major issues in Williston The initiative will cover each topic in three parts, providing details on the past, present and potential outcome of each issue Issues to be covered include housing, crime rates, infrastructure, quality of life, city government, medical care, education, area economics-inflation, the energy industry’s impact on economic development and advocating state support for oil impact funds The initiative will launch this month with a three-week series on housing Long says the goal of the campaign is to give temporary and long-term Williston residents a feeling of pride about their community and provide them with accurate information on those issues “I think it’s going to alleviate a lot of concerns and misinformation,” she says “The more informed we can make a resident, a citizen or a business owner, that’s one more person who knows the real Williston ” PB

Kris Bevill

Editor, Prairie Business

701-306-8561, kbevill@prairiebizmag com

Williston Statistics

Building permits issued in 2013 (as of Nov 30):

674

Building permit valuation in 2013 (as of Nov 30):

$349 million

(SOURCE: WILLISTON BUILDING DEPARTMENT)

Estimated 2012 permanent population: 1 8 , 0 0 0

Projected 2017 permanent population: 2 8 , 5 0 0

(SOURCE: NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY AGRIBUSINESS AND APPLIED ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT)