Lynn Napton ~ Williston Herald ~ Tues. Sept. 13, 2011, 11:13 AM
A new apartment complex is being built in Williston, and construction should be finished within a year, officials said this week.
Investors Real Estate Trust [(IRET)], in partnership with Brutger Equities, has begun construction of the Williston Garden Apartments, which will have 145 apartments. Construction on the complex began in mid-August and is expected to be completed by spring 2012.
Located on 42nd St. E., Williston Garden Apartments will be comprised of four buildings, featuring one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
There will also be an on-site fitness facility and community building.
"It is exciting to be involved in what is shaping up to be the largest oil and gas discovery in the country and at the same time help address the severe housing shortage that exists in western North Dakota. Our commitment is to develop a quality product that will fit well with the community," Chief Operating Officer for IRET Thomas Wentz Jr. said.
The first apartment building is scheduled to open next March, and all four apartment buildings will be complete by June, according to IRET.
"We have not set rents yet, but they will most likely be what are called 'market rent' rates—comparative amounts for the market based on many factors including the building and its amenities," the company said in an e-mail to the Williston Herald.
Additional leasing information for Williston Garden Apartments can be found at www.brutgerequities.com.
The project is a joint venture between Brutger Equities of St. Cloud, Minn., who will handle daily management and leasing of the community, and Investors Real Estate Trust of Minot.
Lumber One, of St. Cloud, Minn., is also involved in the construction process.
During the permitting process, the apartment complex was opposed by neighbors who were concerned about the increased traffic that will come.
Williston Herald ~ Copyright 2011
Originally published @
Bakken Buzz notes:
Some comments posted with original article (listed below) note the area described is not within the Williston city limits at the time of publication. Being harassed by "Mexican truck drivers," trucks on the street/in the area "when they aren't supposed to be," the developers not keeping promises such as keeping the trees that were on the lot as a buffer, and a fear of city annexation and the end of "country living" are noted as citizen complaints and concerns. Others draw a connection with projects such as this and the man-camp issue, some suggesting they are wrongly "forcing" residents of temporary housing to rent or buy for purposes of taxation or other financial gain, while others encourage the development of apartment complexes and residential homes to deal with mounting man camp problems and concerns, as well as to reduce ridiculously high rental rates and real estate purchases prices.
Comments posted online with original article ~ these are the expressed opinions and statements of those users named (not those of Bakken Buzz blogger), presented here as originally posted and without literal editing (though locations, companies, and other noteworthy items have been highlighted)
another neighbor to the complex wrote on Sep 15, 2011 6:41 PM:
" I am so bummed about the apartment complex being build there, I am sad to see the trees all being tore down. I can't wait to move out of here, we already have trucks cruising down our road when they are not suppose too and now the traffic on this road is going to be horrific. I have lived here all my life and on this street for 7 years I hate this town now and can't wait to go somewhere where I am not harrassed by mexican men and I don't have to constantly worry about being hit by a irresponsible truck driver. And now that this apartment complex is being buildt we will for sure be annexed in to city limits, good bye country living "
swoodward wrote on Sep 14, 2011 2:36 PM:
" "Market rent"...code for gouging you and knowing you can't do anything about it. The men and women who are in charge of our local and state government should be ashamed. When I can rent an apartment in Washington, DC or even New York City for less or the same as in Williston there is something seriously wrong. "
Diana wrote on Sep 14, 2011 1:37 PM:
" ummm maybe we need more Apartments or hotels are they being built by locals or a bunch of outof state people.. "
FollowTheMoney wrote on Sep 14, 2011 8:51 AM:
" This is what the man-camp moratorium is all about. To force workers to rent apartments, to buy houses instead. I'm sure builders and "community organizers" lobbied the county commissioners hard.....they were seeing BIG dollars signs everywhere they looked. And man-camps just didn't work for them to realize lots of those dollars.
I'm sure many, many of the workers are just fine living in the camps. It's no ones business. But some feel they have a right to those worker's money. And that's what it is all about. "
neighbor to complex wrote on Sep 14, 2011 7:10 AM:
" When this complex was planned, the company said they would leave the trees up around the property to act as a buffer........hmmmmm they tore them all down, once again lets do as we want not like we say we will!!!!! "
who wants to bet wrote on Sep 13, 2011 8:07 PM:
" who wants to bet that the rent will be high. just like the rest of them other new ones. so people without oil jobs cant afford to pay rent "
Glad to see it wrote on Sep 13, 2011 12:31 PM:
" This is what we need. More permanent family housing and fewer man-camps.
The more apartments are built, the quicker current rent rates will decline. Even announced, but not yet constructed apartments will likely start to help lower current rents, as apartment complex owners are not going to want to see a defection from their buildings en masse for newer places.
My grandfather raised all of us with the life phrase "If you don't treat people right now, you answer for it later" he meant at judgment time, but it applies to alive and well landlord's who have not treated their tenets fairly (not better than fair, but fairly).
Karma and all that.
And to those that will inevitably complain that it isn't enough....duh. Unfortunately, the apartment fairy isn't around to sprinkle apartment pixie dust over Williston and create adequate housing. Now. Right now.
Every new complex is a welcome addition and another step to the end of the dark housing crisis tunnel."
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