Devils Lake, The City, Not The Lake, Is Growing -- This Is Really Good News

Updates

August 14, 2013: The Dickinson Press is also reporting Devils Lake's "reversal of fortune."

The city’s attention in recent years has been commanded by the flood fight, which has cost more than $1.5 billion throughout the Devils Lake Basin. The lake has risen more than 31 feet and quadrupled in size since 1993, reaching a record elevation of 1,454.3 feet in 2011. The lake currently is at about 1,453.4 feet.

The final pieces of the flood protection infrastructure are nearing completion.

“The dike, at one point, was a hindrance to attracting business. How comfortable are you behind a dike? But that seems to be going away,” said Rick Anderson, recently retired executive director of North Central Planning Council, a regional economic development organization.

Here’s a sample of commercial and other public construction projects underway or planned:

- A 120,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter is in early stages of construction along U.S. Highway 2, with completion expected in 2014
- A new Applebee’s restaurant is under construction along the highway
- A 60-room Sleep Inn is under construction across the street from the new Walmart. Officials already are talking about expanding
- Ultra Green, a manufacturer of biodegradable food containers from wheat straw, is under construction in the former Noodles by Leonardo pasta plant. Officials expect to employ about 100 by the end of the year and 300 to 350 within three to five years
- Butler Machinery, a dealer of Caterpillar heavy equipment, is building a new agricultural equipment sales and service branch just west of the city

And more at the link.

Original Post

The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

A Walmart Supercenter is in the early stages of construction along U.S. Highway 2, with completion expected in 2014. A 60-room Sleep Inn is under construction across the street from the new Walmart, and an Applebee's restaurant also is being built along the highway.

Ultra Green, a manufacturer of biodegradable food containers made from wheat straw, is under construction in the former Noodles by Leonardo pasta plant. Officials expect to employ about 100 people by the end of the year and up to 350 within five years. Butler Machinery, a dealer of Caterpillar heavy equipment, is building an agricultural equipment sales and service branch just west of the city.

Last year saw construction of a High Plains Implement dealership, a $10 million expansion of Altru Clinic, a new Lake Chevrolet building downtown and a major addition to Summers Manufacturing, an agricultural equipment builder and dealer. About 50 housing units also were built, and that number will grow to at least 100 by the end of this year, with more planned next year.

It's just hard to believe that the oil patch is having this much impact on Devils Lake, but it's hard to explain it otherwise. Of course, agriculture is still the #1 industry in the state, but it's hard to believe that agriculture is driving this growth. 

Devils Lake is well outside the oil patch about 250 miles to the east of Williston.