If you build it, they will stay

When big developments happen in small communities, it’s a big deal – and no small undertaking. On Oct. 14, the small town of Grafton, North Dakota, broke ground for a new apartment complex that will offer space for 72 families to create roots in the Walsh County seat already home to 4,100 people.

Before the dirt was turned on the empty patch of land just cleared of the season’s corn crop, Grafton Mayor Chris West addressed the nearly 50 local leaders and project collaborators gathered to celebrate the summit of a three-year uphill climb.

“Today does mark another milestone of what hard work and perseverance will yield,” Mayor West told groundbreaking ceremony attendees. “It takes a village to do all of this.”

The apartment complex, named Northern Point Apartments by local Grafton High School Junior Ty Storey, is a product of the collaborative efforts of the City of Grafton, the Marvin window company, MAK Construction, Minnkota Power Cooperative and other partners. When it’s completed in the next 12-14 months, it will ease a shortage of the housing necessary for the high number of opportunities available in Grafton, including competitive jobs at Marvin’s Grafton facility.

Right now, the town’s largest employers have many team members with work commutes of 45 minutes or more. According to Minnkota Economic Development Administrator Melissa Beach, data shows those commuters often are more difficult to retain, and the cost of turnover is especially challenging in places like rural schools, rural hospitals and other businesses.

“With those commuters, coupled with the increasing demand for agriculture worker housing and companies trying to expand in the community, the timing of the housing project was critical,” she said.

It takes a village

Marc Kuhn, president of MAK Construction, told groundbreaking attendees he was hesitant to take on the development of the apartment complex because he couldn’t make it “pencil out” – construction costs on multi-family builds increase in more rural communities. But after a phone call with Matt Marshall, Minnkota Director of Member Services, Rates and Economic Development, he realized the key was gathering the right allies.

“You need layers of help to get a project like this to go. If one person’s willing to step up, it still takes more,” Kuhn said.

One layer of that help was Marvin, which donated doors and windows and provided an injection of money for the complex. The City of Grafton donated land for the project and was able to secure a $250,000 grant for construction. Economic development teams from Grafton and Minnkota connected MAK Construction with entities and programs to fortify the financial viability of the project, including the Bank of North Dakota’s new Rural Workforce Initiative to Support Housing.

Jasper Schneider, general manager of Northern Municipal Power Agency (NMPA) – the power provider for Grafton and 11 other small towns in the region – noted that a critical component of the vibrance of NMPA’s communities is quality available housing. As a part of the Joint System partnership with Minnkota, he says NMPA is proud to support efforts to help “connect the dots” with developers to bring projects of this size to NMPA’s small towns. “This ensures a strong system and growing communities,” he added.

“Our role is often to be that connector between communities and the resources they’re unfamiliar with,” Beach explained. “We work to foster partnerships with local government and organizations, promoting community resilience and improving overall quality of life.”

Ultimately, the Joint System’s economic development efforts come down to a core electric cooperative principle: Concern for Community. In Grafton, that concern manifested as bridges built between many.

“This is unbelievable – we’re so excited,” Mayor West said after the groundbreaking ceremony. “We were able to put all the right partners together. It gives our community an opportunity to grow and to move forward.”

MAIN IMAGE: Grafton-area commissioners and leaders take a turn at breaking ground for the new Northern Point Apartments. (Minnkota/Michael Hoeft)