New construction and business helped grow Willmar, Minnesota, economy in 2024

WILLMAR

— The last year brought several noticeable changes to the business and community landscape of Willmar.

With new buildings to help with housing needs to businesses going up on First Street,

the strength of Willmar’s development was on display.

However, while ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies are major events in development, they aren’t where the projects start or end.

According to

Willmar Planning and Development

Director Christopher Corbett, many of the projects which finished or began construction this past year actually entered the planning stages years ago.

“Development takes time. A lot of these projects that are closing out or started in 2024 probably started as early as 2021 and 2022. There are a lot of moving parts. We just want to make sure that we are building relationships to ensure the process is streamlined,” Corbett said.

Ensuring that developers outside of the community are aware of and want to come to Willmar is an important part of what Corbett and his team do. In 2024, and in most years, the Willmar Planning and Development Department works to ensure a smooth process for developers to find space in Willmar in which to grow and build.

These developments from organizations outside the community can occur due to action by the city, or because of the research that the organization has done.

“Sometimes it works where the city is seeking developers to bring certain products to the city. Sometimes it is developers doing their own research. In the case of Trident, it is two-fold,” Corbett said.

Trident Development

is a company that provides communities with senior living communities and apartments. According to Corbett, the city has found itself in need of affordable senior housing. In order to help bring Trident Development to Willmar, the Willmar City Council approved a tax increment financing agreement.

In 2024, Trident began on-site work on a new 75-unit senior housing facility at 2001 Ninth St. S.E. When completed, this facility will provide more options for the aging population of Willmar.

“You want to diversify housing; you can’t have only one brand. You want housing for different income levels and from different developers,” Corbett said.

Willmar, over the past year, has achieved that type of diversity in senior housing development. Alongside the Trident development, Willmar-based

Bethesda senior housing community

broke ground and began construction on a multi-million dollar expansion to their senior living facilities in Willmar.

This expansion, located at 1205 Willmar Ave. S.E., features over 200 units and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025, according to a previous report by the West Central Tribune.

“Senior housing is a huge drive for our area. It is not just about the aging population in Willmar but also the smaller communities around Willmar. It draws people to Willmar so they can take advantage of the services that are provided here,” Corbett said.

Alongside a need for diverse senior housing, Willmar needs affordable housing for the general population as well. One group working to develop affordable housing in the city is the

United Community Action Partnership,

a non-profit organization that provides resources for communities to combat poverty.

In 2024, UCAP received a grant for $4.4 million from the state of Minnesota for the development of housing to help Willmar families move out of poverty. The group has worked to create affordable housing in Willmar for people in lower income brackets.

“Oftentimes we talk about housing and housing is a big umbrella. You need housing options, options for every income and you need it to be available so we have houses on the market and there isn’t a limited supply of one type of housing. We need housing to meet every income bracket,” Corbett said. “People say that affordable housing gets a bad name. We all live in affordable housing; it depends on your income what is affordable housing for you.”

With housing being one of the needs that the city of Willmar has identified, a lot of work has been done to address it. However, there are other needs that the city has, and identifying those needs helps to guide the city in how it develops.

According to Corbett, the city identifies the needs of residents and businesses through market research and community conversations. When the city hears about a need, it is its job to find solutions to that need. For instance, Corbett found access to cultural foods for minority populations in Willmar as something that is needed.

“One need off the top of my head is ethnic grocery stores; our diverse community has built stores and filled that need,” Corbett said.

In addition to the ethnic grocery stores established by local entrepreneurs, Willmar is set to become home to a new halal meat processing plant called Happy Halal.

Developed by

Clean Chickens and Co,

a USDA-approved mobile poultry processing unit based out of Bemidji, Happy Halal will work to fill the need for fresh halal meats not just in Willmar but also in neighboring communities.

The new facility,

which broke ground in September of 2024,

is expected to cost $3.5 million. The facility will process goat and sheep out of Willmar’s Industrial Park.

Halal meat processing in the United States is not widespread. The largest sheep-slaughtering facility in the country is found in Denver, Colorado. According to a previous report by the West Central Tribune, the majority of halal meats in the United States are imported from other countries.

Ensuring that Willmar has developments that make it stand out and grow as a good location to start and expand business is a vital task for the city. By creating a healthy environment for companies like Happy Halal to build facilities, the city is able to draw in other, larger businesses.

This year drivers on First Street in Willmar watched as a new Popeyes was constructed at the corner of First Street and Willmar Avenue. Alongside the new Popeyes, a new Subway was built in 2024, both of which provide residents with more places to shop and dine.

The city also works to ensure that new local businesses have the space to operate and grow across town. Through work with other local organizations, like Kandiyohi Economic Development and the Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, local entrepreneurs have been able to grow in 2024.

“Local small businesses are making a huge impact — such as Intuition, who offer an array of community events and have partnered with the city to create a Downtown Willmar lager that celebrates the city’s branding,” Corbett said in an email. “Rendezvous Axe Throwing is community-focused and looking to host competitive leagues. Both businesses hit their stride in 2024.”

But it is not just businesses and housing that have seen development throughout 2024.

Willmar Public Schools started construction on a new gym at the middle school. According to a previous report by the West Central Tribune, the project, which broke ground in June 2024, is expected to cost around $7.9 million.

Funded by a bond approved by voters in 2023, the project will provide an up-to-date facility. The expansion will span 21,000 square feet with the gymnasium taking up 14,600 square feet.

As the city looks forward to the next year of development, staff are keeping the needs of residents in mind. The goal is always to draw in business and people to make Willmar their next home, but that also requires communication from residents.

“The needs of the community are only going to be met if this is a collaborative effort. We are engaging with the public,” Corbett said. “I have an open door policy, (and) people can email me anytime.”

The city’s development goal in 2025 is to streamline the development process while meeting the needs of the community.

“It is not a checklist. Our plans should always be evolving; it is all about scale,” Corbett said.

To see regular reports on what projects are being developed in the City of Willmar, watch for the

West Central Tribune’s building permit reports.

In 2024, a total of $71,053,780 in valuation was issued by Willmar for commercial, residential and other building permits.

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