Two developments break ground in Killdeer

KILLDEER -- Something's happening that Killdeer Mayor Dan Dolechek "never would've expected just a few years ago."

Two new developments broke ground in the town this week.

With the oil development in the area, Killdeer lately has just been trying to catch up -- and these developments will help, he said Monday at the groundbreaking for the town's third hotel.

He said he hopes a nearly 80-acre residential and commercial development a half-mile east of town will offer affordable housing.

But Reading Overstreet of developer ParcGate says that's out of the question, at least for the first of two apartment complexes going up on the site.

"The development cycle is difficult and problematic enough without having the associated delays that accompany affordable housing," he said. "Anytime you get government officials involved with development you have pre-existing biases and as a developer you have to work within those set biases."

Overstreet said the 200- to 250-unit furnished and unfurnished apartments will serve employees of industries growing because of the boom -- like teachers -- as far as 50 to 60 miles from Killdeer.

He said ParcGate chose Killdeer "to address the acute housing shortage."

Phase one of the project will include 15 acres of yet-to-be-filled commercial space, about 30 acres of apartments and single-family housing and a city park, said real estate broker Jeremy Gray. A second phase will include more housing, including duplexes.

The other development, a hotel directly northwest of the highways 22 and 200 roundabout, may be complete by January 2014.

Developer Robert Andrew said modular design will hopefully let builders "get ahead of the weather."

The $3.9 million hotel will have 60 units and on-site manager's quarters, he said.

Catherine Cronen of management company TLC Hospitality said the target market for the hotel is professionals supplying short-term oil and gas-related work, like plumbers and electricians. The hotel will offer contract rates for groups staying extended times.

Singapore developer Danny Lim is behind the project, and chose Killdeer as his first North Dakota site because of the oil boom, Cronen said.

The owner of adjacent land has proposed a convenience store for directly next to the hotel, and Cronen said the two businesses would complement each other.