Minot’s Future | Video

Amy Fox | 12/17/2012

With more people moving to the area, Minot`s population is growing. Right now, there are more than 57,000 people living in Minot. That includes the air force base and MSU. According to the Minot Area Development Corporation, in the next 10 years the population could reach 100,000. So, is the city really prepared to handle the increase?

What does the future of Minot look like in say 5, 10, even 20 years from now?
As Minot Area Development Corporation President Jerry Chavez explains, "We will grow. It`s better to take that growth and plan for that growth in a very smart way."

With Minot`s population expected to nearly double in size within the next 10 years, community leaders met today to discuss future plans for the city.

"What is the vision of Minot going for? What do we need to pay attention to? From city leaders gathering together to recognize the opportunities and some of the challenges we have as a city."

One of the major challenges is housing. But, with new residential developments going up, the supply is slowly catching up with the demand.

"More apartments are coming online and more homes have been built, and we`re starting to see some of that market loosen a little bit. So, as new residents are coming, they are having a little easier time to find some place to go," said Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Wendy Howe.

As Minot continues to recover from last summer`s flood, many are looking forward to the new developments the population growth is bringing to the area.

Howe said, "The north part of Minot. We have long looked for new businesses and wanted to have some of that retail. Now, we`re starting to see some of that with grocery stores and rest going in the north end, which compliments the residential that are being built up there.”

As the city continues to grow, Chavez hopes to maintain the small town charm.
"What do we need to do to make sure the community is saving that fabric of life, that quality of life that we`re so used to, and making sure the people that are coming that are new to town expect those same type of amenities from the community."

Historically, the majority of the new developments were going up on the southwest side of town, but Howe says now we`re seeing growth throughout the entire community.

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