Ground breaking set Oct. 4 for WSC Foundation housing project
Posted: Sep 27 2012
September 27, 2012 For Immediate release
For more information, contact Terry Olson at the WSC Foundation, 572-9275
Ground breaking set Oct. 4 for WSC Foundation housing project
WILLISTON, N.D. - Williston State College is pleased to announce that it will host the ground breaking for a new apartment building at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4. The event will take place on the southeast corner of the WSC campus, off South Highland Drive. Special guest will be North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple, who will also speak at the event. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and stay for light refreshments which will follow.
One four-story apartment building with 74 units will be built at that site. According to WSC Foundation Executive Director Terry Olson, there will be a variety of apartment sizes, including studios and one bedrooms, two bedroom with two bathrooms, two bedroom with one bath, and some three bedroom units.
The building is becoming a reality after Olson, who was fielding calls from “all kinds of entities in the community and region, wondering if the college had any housing available,” gathered some individuals from the community for some brainstorming, he said.
“Basically, what we did was call some informal meetings and discussed how we can help those providing essential services in Williston, including employees at the College, Mercy Hospital, Bethel Lutheran Home, the school district, etc.
He emphasized that this is not going to be student housing. It will be housing dedicated first to employees of the partners who came forward from the early meetings, including Bethel Lutheran, the Department of Transportation, N.D. Game and Fish, the N.D. Highway Patrol, Fort Union National Historic Site and Fort Buford State Historic Site and the City of Williston. If there are any units available after those needs are met, they would like to include the Williston School District and Mercy Hospital.
The building will feature 41 underground parking spots and will also have 6,000 to 8,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.
“We will have a committee of personnel from the college, Foundation members and possibly students to decide what type of retail space would benefit our campus and the people who live on this end of town,” Olson said.
Bids for the construction project have come in at $8.5 million. He said they are confident that the bids received at this time are secured and they hope to remain in that dollar figure.
While the WSC Foundation is the lead behind fueling the project, funding is coming from several sources.
“The (WSC) Foundation is investing in it, we are working with the Bethel Lutheran Foundation for an investment from them, the college is making an investment and the rest of the money needed will be taken in a loan from another project partner - American State Bank and Trust,” Olson said.
Additionally, $1 million has been received from the Housing Incentive Fund, which is money that was donated from individuals and businesses who directed their state income tax dollars to this project. Within the scope of this project, there was one particular business who gave a significant amount, making this project a reality. Their name will be announced at the ground breaking ceremony on Oct. 4. Plans call for the building to be ready for occupancy by summer 2013.
“This is a very essential project which is filling a great need in our community,” Olson said. “It’s exciting and scary all in the same breath.”