Williston Square development: A bright spot for city officials

This past year, the long-dormant land of the old airport saw the openings of Slim Chickens restaurant and Genesis, a clothing store.

Lenny Johnson, owner of Genesis, described his experience working with city officials as "fantastic."

"They're worried about what is best for Williston, not just their own agenda," Johnson said. "They're interested in what's best for the community, not just picking and choosing projects."

Johnson, who launched his Williston clothing shop in 2014, said the name was changed to Genesis in 2020.

"Coming from California originally, I am well-adapted to working out of town with people from other parts of the country," he said. "I find that people from North Dakota are still uncertain of out-of-towners."

However, the owner of Genesis said his experience with the people of Williston "has been nothing but positive."

Johnson said city officials are eager to embrace new businesses, regardless of their size or focus.

"They are extremely willing to work with people to help get their business started," he said. "They're looking for any project that adds value to the community."

As for the decision to relocate his clothing store to Williston Square, where the shop expanded its square footage by about 30%, Johnson said he is extremely pleased with the results.

"Visibility has been up 100-fold," he said. "Traffic is up. Sales have been up. Overall, it's been really good."

In addition to Slim Chickens and Genesis, a Taco Bell and Pizza Ranch restaurant are expected to open at Williston Square in 2023, according to Wenko.

The vast site of the old airport incorporates 800 acres and has been under development for several years, Wenko said. The Williston Basin International Airport, which opened in October 2019, replaced Sloulin Field International Airport after nearly seven decades of operation in the region.

"We've been in the planning phase for several years for the project," Wenko said of the highly-anticipated Williston Square. "When we talk success stories, 2022 was very successful."

Wenko, Economic Development director for the past eight years, is currently serving as Williston's interim City Administrator.

Soon, "Sanford Health will be building their clinic at the old airport," he added.

Michael LeBeau, M.D., president of the Bismarck region of Sanford Health, stated in a press release:

“We believe Williston should be a regional hub for health care. This clinic is Sanford’s first major investment in the community to realize that vision. We will continue to work with the city on plans to expand the medical campus on Williston Square and bring additional services to the region.”

"Some of the projects moved a little slower than we would have liked, but that's to be expected," Wenko said.

"Some of the delays are from the higher costs of construction in the area," he said, noting the increases are not limited to Williston, or even North Dakota, but are being felt throughout the United States.

"That's not necessarily a local issue," Wenko said of higher construction costs, which he attributed partly to supply-chain bottlenecks around the world. "It's global."

He also attributed some of the delays to the Covid pandemic from 2020–21, which impacted businesses and stymied hiring.

In addition to progress on Williston Square, oil and natural-gas companies from around the globe continue to expand into Williston.

"We continue to see growth in the city," Wenko said. "There are a lot of value-added projects, especially with the oil and gas industries."

By "value-added," Wenko explained companies that traditionally drill for crude oil and natural gas are now exploring additional technologies and products to add to their portfolios.

He named jet fuel as one of the products oil companies are focusing on in the Williston and Bakken basins. Wenko cited Cerilon of Alberta, Canada as a recent win for the region.

Cerilon GTL ND recently received a multi-million-dollar interest-free, short-term loan to build a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in the Trenton area. The plant is expected to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel and military-grade jet fuel.

"The company's timeline calls for constructing the facility in early 2023," according to a 2022 article in the Williston Herald. The article noted Cerilon also plans to use the new facility for carbon storage, with expectations of sequestering up to "2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually."

Oil and gas industry spokespersons often refer to new ways of expanding products as "value-adds," which city leaders say are important to attracting projects — and jobs.

"Companies are finding ways to take the byproducts of the oil and gas industries" and convert them into economic-growth opportunities, Wenko explained.

As Williston's Economic Development director, it's his job to help attract companies like Cerilon without losing sight of the community's priorities.

"The biggest thing with the city is we act as the facilitator," Wenko said. "We can help them determine where they wanna go and communicate what they're doing."

Wenko noted it's important to inform the public about planned projects and how they impact the city of Williston.

It's a balancing act because residents want jobs growth, which brings in tax revenues to improve schools, pave roads and build additional municipal projects. The trick is to attract new businesses without diminishing quality-of-life in the region.

"Yes, we're working with the oil and gas industries," Wenko said. "We want to make sure we have a good economic environment to entice businesses to come into the area."

In that regard, Williston Square is a win-win for the city because the land — once occupied by an outdated airport — is being re-utilized to attract new businesses.

"When you talk Williston Square, you're talking in-town," Wenko said. "These are new companies that are coming in — companies that are expanding."

In addition to Slim Chickens — operated by Preferred Restaurant Group of Minot — Taco Bell, a national chain, and Midwest-based Pizza Ranch are attracted to Williston's growing population and expanding jobs base.

A major responsibility of Williston's Economic Development department is to meet with company CEOs, site selectors and real estate developers and pitch the city of Williston, Wenko said. To that end, 2022 was a successful year. Williston Square continues to expand while traditional oil and gas companies eye the region for growth.

With Sanford Health executives moving forward on plans to expand operations in Williston, city officials are anticipating another successful year in 2023.

As Lenny Johnson of Genesis said, expanding a business and embracing the future comes with a steep learning curve. Listening to Johnson, who went from renting space to owning his store's footprint, the difficult lessons are worth the investment.

"It's been a working relationship since I first got here," said the West Coast transplant. "I have been working with Shawn Wenko since 2014."

What is the biggest lesson he's learned from the experience?

"This city is still growing," Johnson concluded.