In an effort to help expand tourism in North Dakota, the Governor’s Office and the North Dakota Department of Commerce on Monday, Nov. 6 announced $25 million of matching grants to create or expand attractions throughout the state. Woodland Resort was one of the places whose grant proposal got approved.
Woodland Resort will receive $1,750,000 and the grant will be used to construct a 400-person event center on the resort to allow for large group events and trade shows.
“We’re excited we got the grant even though it was not the full amount,” owner Kyle Blanchfield told the Journal. “It’s going to be a great benefit to this community… It’s going to be a great venue for a lot of events, tournaments, and lots of family-friendly things.”
Governor Doug Burgum had initially proposed $50 million for the Destination Development grant program in his executive budget recommendation. The Legislature approved $25 million in grant funding in July. The percentage funded of the total project is 31% and no applicant received the full amount requested according to the DOC. “We are making tourism business development a priority at Commerce by recognizing the value new attractions provide, not only by attracting visitors and spending but also by improving our quality of life,” said Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen in a press release. “These project applications will help us further refine how we can support the development of tourism to help diversify our economy.”
Applications were judged on the following criteria:
Would the new attraction or expansion motivate new trips to North Dakota from non-residents? Is the expansion tied to a defining North Dakota theme or location? Will the project have a lasting impact? Will the project progress toward completion during the 2023-25 biennium?
“There was tremendous interest in the program, with 81 projects from 42 communities requesting more than $151.5 million in funding. While we had hoped the Legislature would allocate additional dollars during the special legislative session to support more projects, we are excited to see the many unique and innovative projects that were proposed and able to be funded,” said Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman in a press release. “As our state and its workforce needs continue to grow and diversify, it’s crucial that we recognize the immense potential to attract visitors and recruit talent by creating unique attractions and amenities, and these projects are a great start.”
