The "Bakken" Is Changing American Cities -- July 21, 2014

Market Wired is reporting:

Shale zone communities have discovered yet another benefit from their surging economic growth: more of everything. Small towns like Williston, North Dakota, which has relatively little retail, are now catching the eye of major brands like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

With $80 billion expected in annual investments over the next six years and rapid population expansion, local infrastructure construction and real estate development in shale formation areas like the Bakken in North Dakota and Eagle Ford in Texas are turning small outposts into genuine boom towns.

According to JLL's new 2014 North American Energy Outlook, major metropolitan areas are benefitting too, with "surge cities" fuelled by oil and natural gas production -- growing at more than twice the pace of their peers. 

This is really quite a story. It's a must-read; must bookmark, or at least archive.

• Boom Town: WIlliston, ND -- Bakken
• Surge City: Denver, CO -- Bakken
• Surge City: Houston, TX -- Eagle Ford
• Surge City: Pittsburgh, PA -- Marcellus
• Surge City: Dallas-Ft Worth -- Barnett

A huge "thanks" to a reader for sending the link to this article.

Trader Joe's in Williston? If that happens, I will eat my safari hat.