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Williston, ND is Experiencing a Building Boom

Williston's impressive growth sparks a list of new projects.

By Kevin Litwin on April 20, 2021

williston
Jason Lindsey/North Dakota Tourism

As Williston’s population grows and investors continue to show interest in this prosperous community, both residential and commercial developments have opened up and more are under consideration.>

One of the largest initiatives on the drawing board is Williston Square, a mixed-use community that will be built on 800+ acres in the center of town on the site of the old Sloulin Field International Airport.>

Sloulin Field closed in 2019 in favor of the newly constructed Williston Basin International Airport, which also opened in 2019 on a larger site about 5 miles away. Plans continue to be mapped out for how the vacated, city-owned Sloulin Field property will be used in the future.

“Those 800 acres provide this community with some prime real estate right in the heart of the city,” says Shawn Wenko, executive director of Williston Economic Development. “Tentative plans for the development of Williston Square include expansive opportunities for restaurants, retail, health care, a hotel, a convention center, mixed-use housing, an amphitheater, indoor hockey/skating arenas, walking trails and more. It’s an exciting future project and fun to plan.”

Part of the Williston Square development will include a business campus called the Innovation District, designated to attract tech and entrepreneurial companies that can contribute to the city’s diverse economic development.


Wenko says several other projects besides the Williston Square endeavor are on the horizon, and announcements are likely in the coming months once the details are decided. The community also sees development opportunities related to its burgeoning tourism sector.

“With our access to Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River, growth for us in the outdoor recreation sector is something we want to really pursue,” Wenko says.

Live It Up

With its booming population – up more than 80% in the last 10 years – the Williston area has seen a slew of new housing developments and several apartment projects. According to Zillow.com, the median value of homes in Williston was $259,631 as of November 2020, with prices ranging from about $150,000 to $550,000.


“The real estate market for the Williston region wasn’t wonderful in 2020 due to all kinds of factors, such as COVID, the long national election campaigns, increased talk and tension about our two school districts merging and so forth, but things should begin to rebound by the spring of 2021,” says Kassie Gorder, a Realtor/broker associate with Basin Brokers. “The good thing for buyers is that there is plenty of inventory along with interest rates being very low.”

Subdivisions under construction in Williston include North Gate, Hawkeye Village, Ponderosa and Valentina. One of the most popular developments is The Meadows, an upscale, single-family neighborhood on the north side of town that is popular with families, young professionals, couples and retirees. Amenities include a private cart path to Eagle Ridge Golf Course as well as close proximity to the new Williston Basin International Airport.


As for apartment living, Gorder says occupancy in Williston is pretty full going into 2021. Average monthly rents run $780, according to Apartments.com. Some of the more desired apartment complexes include Bluffs of Williston, Confluence at Harvest Hills, Eagle Crest, Mercy Heights, Prairie Pines at the Ridge, Roosevelt West and Vue 28. Rockridge Apartments even offer units up to four bedrooms.

“When the oil boom first happened here from about 2010 to 2015, many people would come to Williston to work for one or two weeks and then return to their regular out-of-town homes for a few days or maybe a week, and that pattern continued for quite a while,” Gorder says. “Now, with good permanent oil jobs and additional economic opportunities opening up all the time, more families are settling in the Williston area on a full-time basis to work, live and play.”


If you’d like to learn more about the Williston, ND area, check out the latest edition of Livability Williston, ND.


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